Neap Tide
by Bookfan91
Summary: After a traumatic experience Bella is sent to live with her father in Forks. With the help of her childhood friend Jacob will she be able to let the past go? And when Jacob begins acting weird, where does that leave her? Rated for later. Complete!
1. Chapter 1: A Hobby

Disclaimer: I do not own Twilight or the sinful looking Jacob Black.

Bella shot up in the bed in a cold sweat, she was glad that she hadn't woken up Charlie again but was frustrated that even the highest milligrams of sleeping pills didn't keep the dreams away. It was three a.m Saturday morning so she just said to hell with it and got up. She was quiet as she spent the next few hours tidying up the downstairs and putting the coffee on for Charlie. She was already showered and dressed when Charlie came down in his flannel pajamas.

"Did you get any sleep?" he asked with a concerned look on his face

"Not really" she admitted into her morning tea, Charlie poured himself a cup of coffee before sitting across from her "kinda getting normal, not sleeping"

"It's only been three months Bells" he reminded her "maybe we should get you an appointment with a therapist"

"Dad-" she started and Charlie held up his hands in defense

"I'm not talking about a permanent thing, just until you are sleeping through the night at least" he insisted

"I am not the kinda person to pour my heart out to a stranger" she told him, Charlie nodded

"Yea, one of the personality traits your mother says you acquired from me" he grumbled and Bella chuckled "but, i read that a hobby or activity could help you...sort your mind out"

"So you're telling me to...?" she started, raising an eyebrow

"Get a hobby or see a shrink" he stated bluntly

"Hobby is it" she agreed

"Good" Charlie said with a small smile "those bags under your eyes are beginning to remind me of your grandmother"

"Oh, you're funny"

A hobby, a hobby, a hobby, a hobby.

Bella sighed and snapped another photo of the shore line on La Push as she sat on the hood of her truck with a cigarette in her hand. The camera had been an expensive gift for her 17th birthday in September and Bella admitted she liked taking photos and even did a few weddings in Phoenix for cash, maybe she could do that? Only not a lot of people got married in Forks. Maybe she could get a real job, except there weren't a lot of places hiring (and she sooooo did not want to take Mike up on his 'always available for you' position at his family's store).

_'Maybe hiking?'_ She thought when Newton's Olympic Outfitters popped into her head. She used to like taking walks before, but that was on the flat side walks of Phoenix and not the grassy terrain of Forks. Too much time to herself wouldn't be good, Bella need something that would occupy her mind and body. Three months ago a shrink at the hospital in Seattle told her that it helped many survivors of a traumatic incident to write about what they survived but, again, that would leave Bella not only with too much time to herself but reminiscing about something she'd rather not think about.

_'Surfing?' _She thought as she pulled back in front of her and Charlies small home, her stomach growling with hunger. Some guys from her school surfed as did a lot of guys from La Push. Then again she was a klutz on solid, dry land so putting her on a wet, slippery board would no doubt be a catastrophe She snubbed out her cigarette and exited her truck.

"Hey Bella" Joe Marks greeted as he wheeled out a run down, beat up motorcycle to his curb.

"Hey, Joe" she greeted back kindly and snapped a photo of the bike "whatcha doing?"

"Just cleaning out my garage and getting ready to take these old boys to the scrap yard" he told her as he wheeled the other bike to where he put the first.

"Do they still run?" Bella asked

"No, but all they really need is a little TLC, but I don't have the time or money for it" Bella's head tilted as a hobby that would take up both her mind and body sprung to thought.

"How much do you want for one?" she asked, Joe looked at her with a confused expression.

"Bella, they don't run" he spoke to her like someone would speak to a slow-witted child.

"I know" she responded, having a plan mapped out in her head already "how much?"

Billy and Jacob Black lived on the Quileute reservation on in a small house that reminded Bella of a barn with it's faded red paint and narrow windows. She parked between the house and the shed/garage and saw Jacob pop his head out of said shed, no doubt confirming that the rumble of the truck was from Bella.

"Bella!" he said excitedly as he scooped her up in a spinning hug

"Jake" she greeted her childhood friend who had been inviting her to his place since she arrived in Forks. He had grown in the last weeks since she had seen him, up to at least six foot five now and a little more filled out muscle wise but not too drastically. He had his hair loose around his shoulders and it hung like a dark canopy hiding his near black eyes.

"What were you doing?" she asked, gesturing to the tool in his hand.

"Just working on the Rabbit" he answered still smiling but taking in her appearance skillfully "what brings you here?"

"I, uh, brought you something" Bella moved to the bed of her truck to show him the two motorcycles she had acquired.

"Wow, scrap metal" he joked

"Yea well I saved them from the scrap yard and it was kind of a 'take one get stuck with the other' deal and I know they'll probably cost more to fix then they're worth but I thought if I had a mechanic friend that I could pay..." she trailed off as understanding marred his handsome face.

"And I'm the mechanic friend" he realized "since when are you into motorcycles?"

Bella sighed "I need a hobby" she stated bluntly "Charlie said I needed one and I sort of agreed and when I saw these I just had a moment of either sheer genius or stupidity, but I figured I could pay you and you could keep a bike since i only need one and maybe teach me ride on since I've seen you on a dirt bike" She managed to get that all out in one breathe and it took Jacob all of two seconds to think before he smiled again.

"Sounds great" Bella looked at him in amazement "when do you want to start?"

"Um, now if you want" she stammered out "But! I don't want Charlie knowing exactly what we're doing so-"

"Don't tell my dad, got it" he understood and then winked at her playfully "we'll be sneaky"

Twenty minutes later Jacob had one of the bikes completely in pieces and Bella was watching him from the drivers seat of his 1986 Rabbit while he talked to her about everything going on his his life. School, working on cars, hanging out with his friends Quil and Embry.

"Hand me the red handed wrench on the wall" he ordered between his story, Bella located it and leaned over to hand it to him. The movement caused her collar of her shirt to move and reveal the long scar on the left side of her neck and collar bone. Jacob zeroed in on it immediately and was no doubt going to ask about it but decided against at the pleading look Bella sent him.

"Sorry" he asked, moving his eyes back to the bike

"No problem, you were talking about Quil and Embry" she reminded him quickly but just as he opened his mouth they both heard someone call his name from a distance.

"Speak of the idiots" he muttered to himself just as two boys entered the shed. One was tall, almost as tall as Jake, and slender with his hair just skimming his shoulders. The short one was more butch, his white tee-shirt stretched across his well developed chest and given the look he had given Bella when he caught her staring he was very happy about it but he had his hair cropped short. They introduced themselves and turned from staring at her in shock to completely ignoring her when Jacob told them that he and Bella were rebuilding the motorcycles. Bella watched the exchange of 'ohhhs' and 'ahhhs' from her perch until the sun started to go down and she grabbed her jacket and rose. That brought all the guys attention back to her.

"You're leaving?" Jacob asked crestfallen

"Gotta make dinner for Charlie" she reminded him "can i come over on Monday?"

"Yea!" he answered instantly with a grin, causing Quil to nudge Embry and share a smirk.

"Okay, i'll see you then" she gave him a small hug goodbye and exiting the shed, laughing a bit when she heard Jacob's threat to his friends.

"Either of you two idiots step on my land on Monday I swear I'll..." She could hear the rest because she hoped in her truck.

Later that evening, Charlie perked his head up as he sat in his living room after dinner, not believing his ears. Bella was in the kitchen and apparently didn't remember that he was even in the house as she washed the dishes. He was confused but happy, more than that he was curious on what could have made his daughter hum...


	2. Chapter 2: Plans

Disclaimer: I do not own Twilight of anything else written or produced by Stephanie Meyer.

The following Monday Bella couldn't get through with school fast enough and that shocked her. It had been so long since she looked forward to anything as much as she did spending time with Jacob. She ate lunch with the group of people she considered more acquaintances then friends, struggled through gym class and all but ran to her locker after last bell. She had just slung on her jacket when Angela walked up to her with a kind smile. Bella actually considered Angela a friend, not like Jessica or Lauren, she and Angela bonded almost immediately over their love of photography and Angela had even offered Bella a spot on the year book committee but Bella kindly declined.

"Hey Angela" she greeted

"Hey, some of us are going to the grille to hang out and Mike's been reminding me since lunch to ask you if you want to go" Bella looked over Angela's shoulder to see Mike trying to act like he wasn't watching them.

"I can't I've already made plans" Bella answered, Angela raised a brow and smiled

"With a guy?" she asked, Bella rolled her eyes

"Technically but it's not like that" she insisted to her pretty friend, who was digging through her back pack. Bella raised a brow when Angela placed two small objects in her hand "and these are for?..."

"One is concealer for those bags under your eyes and the other is lip gloss" Angela explained

"I said it wasn't like-"

"Either way you should always try to look your best in front of the opposite sex" Angela interrupted with a smile "you can give them back tomorrow" before Bella could say anything back Angela had fluttered out of hearing range. Before Bella pulled out of the school parking lot she looked at herself in one of the over head mirrors. The bags under her eyes were pretty dark and noticeable and her eyes themselves looked sunken in. Not sleeping or eating didn't do much for her appearance but some things couldn't be helped.

When she knocked on the Black's front door she was greeted by Billy.

"Hey Bella" he greeted with a warm smile "Jacob's not home yet, come on in" he wheeled out of the way to let her enter his humble little home.

"So Charlie tells me you haven't been sleeping" he stated as they sat at his kitchen table, Bella froze "he didn't tell me why though so you can relax" he quickly added

"You'd figure you and my father would have something better to talk about on your fishing trips than my sleeping patterns" she commented dryly, Billy shrugged

"Not really, fish, work, kids, that pretty much sums up all the conversation until March Madness" Bella chuckled and watched him wheel to his pantry and pull out a box, on closer inspection Bella saw it was a box of tea bags.

"Sue Clearwater's homemade sleep easy tea" Billy told her

"Billy, no offense but I'm taking sleeping pills that should put a three hundred pound guy in an instant coma, and they don't do a thing for me" she informed him

"Humor an old cripple" he asked, Bella rolled her eyes

"You just _love_ pulling that card don't you?" she asked, putting the box into her pack back.

Billy smiled widely "It comes in handy when you have a teenage son"

As if his ears were burning, Jacob walked through the front door and smiled widely when he saw Bella. His long hair was pulled into a ponytail and he was had his worn, leather jacket slung over his shoulder in spite of the chill that followed him in the door.

"Hey you" he said, causing a chill to go through Bella at the intimate greeting.

"Hey" she responded

"What are you kids planning to do today?" Billy asked, bringing Jacob's attention to his father.

"Heading to the scrap yard to see if we can salvage some cheap parts for the Rabbit" Jacob answered quickly, Billy nodded then sent them each a stern look

"Make sure you both make time for some school work" he told them before letting them head to the shed.

"I don't want you getting backed up on homework so we don't have to do work on the bikes today" Bella told Jacob, who shot her another white smile.

"It's no problem I swear" he said and took another look at each bike before frowning "I don't think I'm entirely comfortable with you paying are these bikes though"

"No way, I'm bank rolling this insane idea of mine" at his insistent frown she continued "if I took either of these bike to Drowling's, how much would he charge?"

"That's because John Drowling is a prick who over charges" he commented with a hint of contempt for the guy, then he smiled "okay you're getting a pretty good deal"

"Good, then let's go" Bella announced and walked them both to her truck. It had started raining on the way to the scrap yard and Bella only had her jacket instead of an umbrella but it was still surprisingly fun rooting through the stuff, probably because she was with Jacob. She didn't want to admit that in the short (very short) time they were together she already felt a connection between them...at it scared the hell out of her. After Jacob had found a dozen greasy (unidentifiable to Bella) parts, they were making the two hour truck ride to Checker's Auto Parts south of Forks. He added up the time they would get back he insisted she eat dinner at his place and called his dad to let him know before continuing to tell her about Quil hitting on La Push's new French teacher. Bella was put on the spot when he asked her about going on's in Forks.

"Come on there has to be something new" he asked

Bella shook her head "Not really" she said

"Okay well, tell me about before in when you lived in Phoenix" Bella gripped the wheel so tight her knuckles turned even paler than her skin (if possible) and Jacob immediately regretted his words.

"Well" she croaked out before clearing her throat "I was about as social as I am here, did some jobs to make money but didn't really spend a lot of it, then-" she stopped as her voice cracked and the scar on her neck itched.

"It's okay" Jacob said quickly "you don't have to tell me"

"Just, tell me more stories about you and your friends" Bella told him, he nodded and started with a story that ended with people thinking Embry was allergic to girls. He made her laugh all the way to Checker's when his attention moved from her to the objects on his list. He found everything and even managed to talk down the overall price much to the pleasure and amazement of Bella. He was in a good mood all the way back to La Push and had a glow around him that made her smile even more. As soon as they were back in the garage, Jacob got to work all the while continuing to talk her. She sat back and watched him intently and even snapped a few pictures of him when he wasn't looking.

"Did you just a take picture of me?" he asked without turning around

"How the hell did you know that?" with all the tinkering he was doing with the tools there was no way he could have heard the near silent 'click' of her camera.

"Heard it" he answered, turning to look at her just as Billy called them in the house for dinner. Charlie was there, not surprising, and was more than happy to see Bella actually eat and smile for the first time in weeks.

Later that evening, after the Swan's went home Jacob sat on his bed thinking about what he was going to do the next time Bella came over. She made him happy, and he knew he made her smile but he also knew she had something that stopped her from really enjoying herself and it had something to do with the ugly scar on her neck.

"Jacob!" he jumped at his dad's frantic call, thinking his father had fallen too far from his chair Jacob jumped up and entered his dad's room to see him sitting in his chair.

"What?" Jacob asked inspecting his dad for any visual injuries, Billy gestured to his bare feet and with amazement Jacob watched as his father wiggled the toes on his right foot.


	3. Chapter 3: Healing

Disclaimer: I do not own Twilight.

"Whoa!" Bella huffed as Jacob scooped her up in a tight bear hug instead of greeting her with words. There were cars parked in front of his house and she could both see and hear people inside. Her father was coming over after he got off work and she got the general impression that groups of people often ate together on La Push. Jacob had told her beforehand so she wore something nicer than usual, a gypsy like top and a pair of dark wash jeans she bought at the beginning of the school year and hadn't worn since. She actually let Angela put concealer under her eyes at school but decided against the over shinny lip gloss.

"Hello to you too" she greeted "is everything okay?" she asked

"Yes, no, yes I think" he said quickly as he sat her down on the ground "I took my dad to the hospital-"

"Oh my god is he okay?" Bella asked instantly concerned

"I took him on Tuesday then back yesterday, which is why I couldn't hang out with you because after you left on Monday he wiggled his toes!" he said excitedly with a huge smile "he hasn't moved anything down there since the accident, the doctor told us that the nerve that was severed was healing!" again with the grin that Bella had to send him back, genuinely happy for him "it's only healed a little bit but it's _healed_" Bella gasped as he hugged her again

"Can't breathe" she choked out and Jacob instantly loosened his grip on her before grabbing her hand and dragging her into the swarm of people that was his living room. Henry and Sue Clearwater were there along with their kids Leah (who was brooding in the corner) and Seth (who clung to Jacob like a little brother). Quil and his parents where there took as well as Embry and his mom. Though surrounded by his friends Jacob mostly talked to Bella until he wanted to show the guy's the progress they made on the bike and at that time Bella stayed in the house. She snapped a few pictures of the crowd and tilted her head as she examined the light in Billy's eyes and the pain in Leah's.

"Hey" she greeted as she handed Leah a soda, feeling like she was approaching a wild animal "are you okay?"

Leah glared up at her "No" she snapped

"Okay, you don't want to tell me, I understand that" and she did, too well did she understand that, Leah sneered

"Really? my fiancée just left me for my cousin" she snapped again "do you understand?"

Bella shrugged "Well I don't have a back-stabbing cousin but I understand crappy ass boyfriends" she pulled her hair back so Leah could see the scar on her neck.

"He did that?" Leah asked, her glare a little less piercing

"Yep" Bella answered sitting down across from her and moving her hair back in place.

"Well" Leah started after taking a sip of soda, her expression softened "it's not even like I can be that upset, she's not back stabbing and he's not crappy, I know neither of them wanted to fall in love with each other or hurt me but..." she trailed out with a helpless look on her face.

"But they did hurt you" Bella finished "and no matter what you do they're still happy and you feel bad for wanting them to feel as miserable as you do"

Leah nodded and Bella touched her shoulder in a comforting way.

"You know that old, stereotypical saying 'it's always darkest before the dawn?'" Leah nodded "well I think in your case it's true because if your crappy ex-boyfriend can find love then cupid has a major hunk aimed your way" Leah smiled but before they could continue their conversation Charlie entered the house and Billy called the guys in from the garage to eat.

The kitchen was too small for the whole crowd so the kids scrambled around the coffee table with their spaghetti. As the adults and children carried on different conversations, Charlie kept sneaking glances over to Bella to see that she was both eating and engaging in conversation. Embry was telling a story about Jacob that made him hang his head and blush so Bella intervened.

"So Embry, Jacob tells me people thought you were allergic to girls for some time"

A roar of laughter quickly erupted in the living room, causing the adults to look over with curious expressions. Bella returned the wink Jacob sent her and noticed the groups shocked faces when they noticed Leah's light chuckle.

"Dude!" exclaimed Embry "it wasn't my fault the chick shoved three peanut butter cups in her mouth seconds before she kissed me!" he insisted but only succeeded in more laughter.

After dinner and after everyone but Charlie and her left, Bella helped Jacob with the dishes before they retired to the garage. In the two days since they'd been together he had made serious progress on the bikes.

"I think Quil like's you" he stated out of nowhere, causing Bella to laugh lightly

"I think he's a bit young for me" she joked, Jacob frowned

"Only about a year, not that big of a difference" the intense look he was giving her made Bella positive that they were talking about Quil anymore.

"Yea well given my last brush with the opposite sex I'd say I'm out of the dating game for a while" she told him while absently mindedly scratching the scar on her neck.

"Maybe your problem is with guys your own age?" Jacob suggested with a coy grin "maybe you should date a younger guy just to make sure"

"Just to make sure huh?" Bella questioned while fumbling with her camera "so you want me to go out with Quil?"

"I wasn't talking about Quil" the huskiness of his voice made her look up only to be met with his intense, dark stare. Desperate to break the hold of his gaze, Bella snapped a picture of him.


	4. Chapter 4: Changes and Dreams

Disclaimer: I do not own Twilight or Jacob Black and yes...that kills me to admit.

"Hey Bella has your dad said anything about the missing hikers and bear sighting?" Tyler asked two weeks later at the lunch table.

Bella had changing a bit since she starting spending time with Jacob. They didn't work on the bikes all the time because she was sure neither of their grade point averages would not survive if they did. She was eating more, talking more and smoking less...a little less. She even stopped cowering beneath turtle necks and high collars, just last night she was tempted to break out the wardrobe she had purchased before the Seattle incident. She was even sleeping, but the tea Sue Clearwater made simply knocked her out and did nothing for her nightmares.

"All I know is that if another person goes missing they're thinking of setting a curfew" Bella told him while remembering her father's words to her over breakfast.

Eric groaned "Lame, we were thinking of heading to the beach next week"

"Which beach?" Bella asked

"La Push" Mike interjected "you should come"

"The hikers went missing up in the mountains and I'm sure we would see a huge black bear on the beach so maybe I will" her answer shocked everyone at the table but she was too busy picking at her salad to notice.

"I don't know exactly who Jacob is but remind me to give him a hug if I ever meet him" Angela said as she cornered Bella by her locker after last bell. Bella raised a brow at her.

"What do you mean?" she asked

"Almost three months and nothing then you start your little project with Jacob and you're just blooming, you're talking to people and at lunch you're actually eating which, may I say, have revealed your scrumptious boobs and derriere"

"Angela!" Bella cried out "please don't ever refer to one of my body parts as scrumptious"

Angela rolled her eyes "Oh please if Jacob hasn't noticed he's either dead or gay, speaking of him! Did you develop any of those pictures?"

This time Bella rolled her eyes as she pulled out the pictures she had taken of Jacob and his friends.

"Need I remind you that you threatened to follow me to his house if I didn't print these out" Angela was focusing on the picture and not listening to her.

"_This_ is Jacob?" she questioned with wide eyes "the younger guy you are just 'hanging out with?"

"He's only a year younger and what's with the air quotes?" Bella asked

"He may be a year younger but he looks four years old and you're just 'hanging out'?" Angela looked at Bella like she was crazy.

"Again with the air quotes?"

"How are you not trying to tap that?" Angela demanded

"Oh my god! Don't ever use that word either!"

"Look as this one" Angela showed her the picture of Jacob Bella had taken to break his stare "it's obvious he wants you, he may cover it up with kindness and smiles but underneath there's something...primal about him"

Bella studied the photo and studied Jacob's eyes before she concluded that Angela was right, there was something there.

"And this look is giving me happy feelings in my lady bits" Angela continued

"Goodbye!"

Later that afternoon, Bella entered the garage expecting to see Jacob. Instead she was met with cold silence which made her raise a brow. The bikes were out as were the parts and tools he always put away in an almost OCD manner.

"Jake?" she called and moved further into the garage "Jake?"

She half expected him to jump out and scream 'Boo!' but that thought was wiped from her mind with she noticed a pool of red liquid behind the Rabbit.

"Jake!" she screaming running to see him face down and not breathing "Jake!" she cried, blood staining her jeans as she kneeled down to turn him over. His once warm eyes now stared up at her with a lifeless expression. Bella stood up and moved to exit the garage when hand snaked around her throat and lifted her off the ground.

"Did you miss me Isabella?" the sickeningly familiar voice asked just before Bella felt the hot slice of a blade pierce her stomach.

"_Bella_!" that was Jacob's voice and when Bella snapped her eyes open she found herself seating in the Rabbit with her friend shaking her fiercely. Realizing she had awoken, Jacob stopped shaking her and cupped the side of her face gently.

"You were screaming" he told her

"I fell asleep?" Bella asked shocked, he nodded

"What were you dreaming of?" he asked, Bella avoided his eyes

"I don't remember" she lied and at the disbelieving look Jacob sent her she added "I'll be right back"

Bella all but ran from the tiny garage and leaned against the outer wall before she lit a cigarette and took a long needed drag. If he had been caught or something she could have told herself that she was being silly and wasn't in any danger at all but that wasn't the case. Had picked up her smoking habit months ago when she had attended her first and last victims support group. She had been standing outside of the building waiting for her mother to pick when she noticed the other woman smoking next to her. The exchange was simple, the woman offered her a drag and Bella accepted.

"You shouldn't smoke" Bella jumped at the broken silence and Jacob leaned against the wall next to her.

"I shouldn't do a lot of things" she countered, Jacob smiled a bit and nodded

"True" he agreed "you can smoke in the garage if you want"

Bella shook her head "I don't like smoking indoors, the air gets too heavy then and I get a headache"

"Oh" was all he said

"What were you saying before I passed out?" she asked and that instantly lightened his eyes.

"Apparently the nerve in my dad's back that was severed is almost completely healed, he has complete feeling in the whole left leg and only partial in the right but it's just amazing and it's shocked the doctors all to hell" he informed her with a wide grin, Bella snubbed out her cigarette and put the bud in her pocket.

"Do they have clue what made the nerve better?" she asked as they continued to lean against the garage.

"Not a clue but I have a idea" he said looking straight at her "it's you"

Bella laughed and rolled her eyes "Yea right"

"Seriously" he insisted "you start coming over on a daily basis and my dad has a chance to walk again, you have a five minute conversation with Leah, who spent the last few weeks the biggest bitch on the planet, and Seth told me she went on a date the other night"

"It's not _me_" she stated as they walked back into the garage and took their usual positions, Bella in the Rabbit and Jacob crouched by the bikes.

"It could be" he continued while fiddling with one of the bikes "you were sent here to help those in need of it and I'm here to make sure you...eat, because you began looking like you were anorexic"

"Wow" Bella said in mock astonishment "I'm surprised you're not batting girls away with a stick with that charm, every girl wants to hear that they look ill and malnourished"

"You don't look like that anymore, you look..." he stopped himself to think of a word "healthy"

"My friend Angela said I look scrumptious, well she said certain body parts looked scrumptious" she told him, instantly Jacobs gaze fell to her chest and Bella crossed her arms.

"She was right" he stated and Bella blushed bright red before they resumed their usual banter. She told him about the plan to head to La Push next week is Charlie didn't enforce a curfew. That night after Bella exited the shower she inspected her breasts in the bathroom mirror. They didn't look bigger to her, just the size they were at the beginning of school year which she guessed were a bit large than other girls. Bella went back to her bedroom and slipped into her pajamas's when her cell phone rang.

She checked the idea and smiled before holding the phone to her ear.

"Hey Alice"


	5. Chapter 5: Study date Jacob's POV

Disclaimer: I do not own Twilight.

Jacob couldn't help but be amazed as he watched his father maneuver around their small kitchen with only the help of a cane. After years in a wheelchair brought on by the car crash that killed Jacob's mom, Billy was the most energetic man in town. He was making plans for summer, heading to the grille or bar more than before and walking to his friends place on the reservation. Jacob tried to think of a reason but he still believe what he told Bella a couple days ago about it being her making everything better. He hoped school would go by quickly so he could see her again. When Bella was around he felt better, not that he was miserable before, but she made him feel at ease. Jacob thought it was affecting him more than normal because anytime she wasn't around he felt different, on edge and restless.

As if reading his thought, Billy sat a plate of scrambled eggs in front of his son "Bella coming over today?" he asked

"No, she's picking up so we can study at her place" Jacob forced himself to keep his excitement level low around that fact but apparently nothing could get past his father.

"You like Bella don't you son?" Billy asked sitting down to drink his coffee

"Yes" Jacob answered honestly, Billy smiled

"Good, Charlie told me how much better she's been since she started coming over" he stated, Jacob knew that something had to be worse before it got better.

"Do you know why Bella came to live here?" Jacob asked, his father nodded

"Of course I know, Charlie's my friend and he told me" Billy sipped his coffee and didn't continue.

"You're not gonna tell me are you?"

"Nope" Billy replied with a light smile "she'll tell you when she's ready"

Jacob rolled his eyes then looked down as his fork hit the clean plate "Are there any more eggs?"

He was hungry again Jacob realized as he walked to his school on an unusually sunny day. He dug out the apple he stowed away in his pack before leaving and bit into it eagerly. As he walked to his first class, French, Jacob noticed that for the third day in a row Embry wasn't there. His mother said he was sick the first day and couldn't come to the phone, then the second day the same thing and Jacob began noticing the pattern Embry was following. Damn Sam, first Paul then Jarred and now apparently Embry.

"Hey" Jacob looked up to see Quil enter the class room looking as cocky as usual.

"Hey" Jacob responded before Quil zeroed in on Mrs. Daraban and presented her with a shiny red apple.

"_Bonjour Mademoiselle_. Daraban" Quil recited in what he apparently thought was a seductive voice. Mrs. Daraban threw him an exasperated look and accepted the apple.

"_Bonjour Monsieur_ Atera, and it's _Madame_ Daraban" she showed him her wedding ring "as I've told you before"

"Well a young man can hope for change can't he?" Quil asked, Mrs. Daraban stood up and placed her hands on her hips.

"_S'asseoir_ Mr. Atera or shall I call your mother again?" that was a threat Quil took very seriously and took his seat in front of Jacob quickly but not before Jacob could see the little smile on Mrs. Daraban's face. He knew she liked the attention Quil gave her but it most likely wouldn't go further than Quil hitting on her and Daraban shooing him away.

"How many strikes is that?" Jacob asked

"Shut up or I'll show your little girlfriend the picture of you dressed up as a power ranger for Halloween" Quil threatened but Jacob actually wasn't embarrassed about that photo. The summer before that Halloween Bella told him she liked his long hair because it reminded her of Tommy from the Power Rangers so he went as the white ranger for Halloween, luckily he was seven at the time so he had the excuse of youth for going as a character on show he only saw as re-runs.

"Speaking of the beautiful Bella Swan" Quil interrupted his train of thought "has she mentioned me?"

"Nope" Jacob lied hoping to wipe the grin from his cousin's face. Bella did mention him but mostly as passing thoughts and comments and Quil didn't need to know that.

"Liar" Quil commented but shut up as class officially started. The day went normal as usual, Jacob droned through English class and world cultures but eased through math. His stomach was rumbling loud enough for his class mates to hear by the time the bell rang for lunch. He ate one of the two meatball subs on his tray before Quil sat down across from him and threw him a curious glance.

"Did you breath between bites?" he asked, Jacob shook his head and dug into his second sub.

"Did you talk to Embry?" He asked between bites

Quil shook his head "But I saw him the other day...with Sam"

Jacob sneered but Quil simply continued "and I noticed Sam's been keep you in his sights anytime he can"

"I'm not going to get sucked up into Sam's shit" Jacob promised and finished his sub four second before he eyed Quil's eagerly.

"No way dude!" Quil pulled his tray closer and hung over it like a convict would in prison "fill your gut with some chips!"

Two apples and five bags of vending machine chips later Jacob wasn't hungry anymore but Quil was staring at him with a sad but suspicious look on his boyish face "What?"

"Embry started eating a lot before he got 'sick'" Quil informed him, Jacob didn't comment on Embry but did speak.

"Don't use air quotes, it makes you look like a tool"

After last bell Jacob all but ran from his school only to pull up short as he saw Bella sitting one on of the benches outside of his school. She didn't see him as she fiddled behind the lenses of her camera and he considered sneaking up and surprising her but decided against it as he saw Quil make a B-line for her. She looked pretty, beautiful even with her long brown hair that shinned red when the inconsistent sun was out.

"Hey gorgeous" Jacob greeted and pulled her up from the bench into a hug and was soon joined by Quil who moved to hug (and knowing Quil most likely kiss) Bella but was held back by the painful grip Jacob had on his shoulder.

"Hey Bella" he squeaked out until Jacob released the pressure "what are you doing here?"

"Me and Jake are studying at my place this evening" she informed him, Quil shot Jacob a look

"Oh? studying are you? well maybe I could joi-" Jacob squeezed Quil's shoulder harder this time "on second thought I've never studied before so why start now?"

Bella noticed the exchange and let out a small laugh before something over Jacob's shoulder got her attention.

"What's with captain intensity over there?" she asked, Jacob and Quil turned to Sam, Paul, and Jarred looking at them from across the front of the school's lot.

"That's Sam Uley" Quil grumbled, instantly somber and Jacob's hard grip turned into a comforting rub before he dropped his hand all together.

"Who's Sam Uley?" she asked

"The current bane of our existence" Quil muttered before sulking away leaving Jacob and Bella staring after him.

"What was that about?" Bella asked as she and Jacob walked back to his place where she left her car "you two don't like those guys?"

"No" he said instantly "They think they run the place, Embry called them juiced up hall monitors, you know 'don't do this' or 'don't do that' kinda guys, and now I think he's with them"

"Why?" Bella questioned

"He was acting weird a while, and now he's missed a school three days in a row" he told her

"Well, that could be anything" she reminded him

"Maybe" he muttered as they spotted his house and her truck ahead of them. They were about to hop in the cab of her truck before Billy limped out of their house with a paper bag in his hand.

"Here you kids go, Henry Clearwater's fish fry" he told them and handed Jacob the bag "Bella, me and your dad are heading to the grille tonight so I'd figure I'd give you a break from cooking"

"Thanks Billy" Bella said smiling and watched as Billy limped back to the house.

"He's been walking _everywhere_" Jacob told her with a smile as they pulled off "I swear he'd walk to the grille if he didn't have a truck"

"Well, it looks like me and you have the house to ourselves tonight"

A simple uncensored comment and coming from Bella Jacob knew it was as innocent as anything but he couldn't stop the images that filled his head or the blood that rushed to his cock. In the cab of the truck he could smell her over the smell of the fish fry and she smelled like lavender. A pure, simple smell unlike a lot of the other girls he was around who smelled like they wore every scent in Bath and Body Works. He shifted in his seat, hoping she wouldn't see the bulge in his jeans and smiled as she threw him a curious look.

By the time they stopped in front of her house he was fine and hopped out of the truck. They entered the warm house and Bella placed the fish in the refrigerator before the two of them settled with their schoolwork in the living room. Bella took off her jacket which caused another rush of heat to flood Jacob at the sight of her cleavage. He shook it off and tried to focus on his work in the silence the Swan living room. When he groaned in frustration over French, Bella offered help and easily helped him through his problem.

"Languages come easy to me" she told him and went back to her work. Each of them finished all their work within an hour and Bella went to reheat the fish and cook some potatoes. Jacob watched her from the living room, savoring the fact this is a Bella Swan not many people here have seen. She tied her hair back in a high ponytail while cooking leaving her scar uncovered, apparently comfortable enough around him to not care what he saw or she forgot he was there. Her feet were bare and her toe nails painted a deep purple, on closer inspector Jacob saw a shinny toe ring on one pale toe. As she moved around the kitchen, Jacob noticed another scar on the back of her neck that was barely visible behind her hair. It looked different than the one on the side of her neck, more circular but he couldn't get a good enough look before she told him the food was done. They ate on the coffee table while watching a documentary about wolves but Jacob wasn't paying much attention to it and instead focused all his senses on Bella. He liked her, hell maybe more than simply like, but the shield she kept fully armed and functioning was something _she_ had to lower before he got anywhere. Charlie came home at eight and told Jacob his father was waiting to take him home outside. Bella walked Jacob to the porch and let him give her another hug without tensing up at first as she'd done times before.

"Goodnight moonbeam" he said into her ear before testing her luck and kissing her cheek lightly. She froze and stayed on the porch as Jacob pulled away with his dad. The smallest kiss on the cheek made Jacob think of nothing but her the rest of the evening.


	6. Chapter 6: La Push

Disclaimer: I do not own Twilight...:cries to herself in sorrow:

"How about this?" Angela suggested as she held up an embroidered sundress she yanked out of Bella's closet. It was Saturday and the sun streaming through her bedroom window verified that they were headed to La Push beach. Angela showed up early when Bella told her Jacob was coming to the beach with them, spouting about 'showing off the goods.' Bella was sitting on her bed while Angela rifled through clothes Bella never or almost never wore.

"It's barely March, not sundress season" Bella reminded her

"Ugh!" Angela snapped in frustration "Why do you even have all these clothes when you don't wear any of them?"

"It's complicated" Bella answered simply and Angela seemed to get the 'don't want to talk about it' tone she put off and nodded before moving back to the closet. Most of the clothes she had either didn't cover her scar good enough or were made for Phoenix heat.

"What are these?" Angela asked with a wide smile as she held up a pair of red cowboy boots.

"I wore those boots everyday for six months and had the best luck, good grades, well paying jobs, and my hair never looked better" Bella said proudly with a smile

"So why'd you stop wearing them?" Angela asked, the smile left Bella's face.

"My ex-boyfriend convinced me they looked tacky" Bella was surprised that she actually answered and Angela gave her a sympathetic look.

"Wear them today" she demanded, Bella gave her a pointed look "oh right, beach" Angela put the boots next to the shoes she knew Bella wore every day.

"Are you picking him up?" Angela asked then tilted her head as another question popped into her head "does he have his license?"

Bella thought a moment "I actually don't know, he's sixteen so maybe"

"Ohhhhhh, one year younger than you" Angela (**yes in this fic Bella is only a year older than Jacob**) said.

"He's meeting us there, I think he's bringing his friend Quil" Bella told her, Angela 'hmmed' and held up a flowy, cotton top and Bella recognized it from her Phoenix wardrobe.

"Um..." Bella gestured to the low neckline and then her scar, Angela tilted her head and thought a moment.

"You'll keep your hair down and even if you don't want to, who cares what other people think?" Angela recited, Bella was about to say no when she was cornered with Angela infamous pout and puppy eyes.

"Okay" Bella looked down as her phone signaled a text.

Heading to the beach, c u soon :-)

From: Jacob

Bella smiled

"Okay, sit very still" Angela warned as came at Bella holding a tube of mascara and lipstick.

"You stay away from me!"

When she pulled to a stop next to Angela shiny little Hybrid, Bella immediately scanned the average size group on the beach for Jacob. She saw him and instantly felt relieved, then panicked a bit because of how relieved she felt. She lowered her head and shook it fiercely, trying to shake any bad memories and thought from her mind.

_'Jacob is not him, Jacob is not him, Jacob is not him' _

She had to repeat that mantra more and more as of late because each nice thing Jacob did for her made her think of the bad things he _could_ do. She told herself she'd never get involved with another guy but Jacob was somehow wiggling his way into her heart...albeit against her will. Bella knew that no matter how much she wanted to act on her feelings, for Jacob's sake, she couldn't.

"Hey" Bella shot into the upright position as Jacob knocked light on the driver's side door "you okay?" he asked

"Yea" she insisted and hopped from the truck, leaving her jacket inside. Jacob took in her slightly made up appearance with appreciative eyes and Bella took in his. He was wearing a white tee-shirt that showed off muscles he had apparently grown without her realizing and a pair of simple faded jeans. That was Jacob, simple but somehow he attracted the attention of nearly all the females around them.

"You look nice, is the shirt new?" he asked, Bella shook her head

"No just haven't worn it in forever" she admitted "you look nice too"

He smiled widely at her and leaned in close to her ear "I have a surprise for you" he whispered

"What?" Bella honestly hated surprises, Jacob moved to her left and held out his arm like a gentleman. Bella looped her arm through his and let him guide her further down the parking lot overlooking the beach.

"How do you think I got here?" he asked

"Um, walked?" La Push was literally on his reservation.

Jacob shook his head and stopped walking "Guess again" Bella turned to see the blue bike they were working on for the past few weeks, finished and according to Jacob vagueness running.

"Oh my god!" Bella damn near screamed with excitement, drawing curious gazes towards them "It's all done? can I try it out?" she asked as she ran her hands over every inch of the bike.

Jacob laughed "Sure but let's mingle with your friends first" he advised, Bella nodded before tearing herself from the motorcycle.

"We'll need to get you a helmet first too" Jacob said sternly

"Not yet, not when you're just teaching me" she insisted "plus I don't have a helmet today and you can't bring the bike here and not let me ride it, don't be a tease!"

Bella looked as Jacob pursed his lips together, as if trying to hold back from saying something. Bella was confused then she replayed the last thing she said in her mind and blushed bright red. They walked up to the group and Bella introduced both Jacob to the few people there he didn't know. Soon everyone was settled with some form of food or drink or in the water (granted with body suits on). Bella was trying to ignore the daggers Mike was sending to Jacob as well as the daggers _she_ was getting from Lauren who cornered her as Bella went to retrieve another soda.

"So" Lauren drew out "you and Jacob Black huh?"

"We're friends" Bella said simply

"Obviously" Lauren stated "I mean, all he's been staring at was your scar"

Despite the rush of insecurity that flooded her system, Bella maintained a casual face and countered.

"Really? how has he been doing that while sitting on my right?" she asked, Lauren sputtered a bit

"Well, he like doesn't make it obvious" Because he didn't do it, Bella knew Jacob saw her scar on more than one occasion and she knew he wanted to ask about it but she also knew that it wasn't the only thing he noticed able her.

"Right" Bella deadpanned and made it back to the pow wow, she had a feeling Lauren was going to do something and didn't want to be around when she did.

"Do you wanna go for a walk?" she asked Jacob quickly who was about to answer when Lauren sharp voice cut in.

"So Bella, how did you get that scar on your neck?" it was instant silence and Angela openly glared at Lauren who acted like it was an innocent question.

Okay, Bella dealt with girls like Lauren before she came to Forks and she would most likely deal with them everywhere she went. Lauren was the kind of girl that could turn from your best friend to your worst enemy if you crossed her and apparently showing up with Jacob crossed Princess Lauren. But if she wanted to play hardball, Bella would swing until her arms fell off.

"Car accident" short, sweet, and wiped that evil smile from Laurens lips.

"Really?" Lauren countered a little pale "looks really fine to be from a simple piece of glass"

"It wasn't glass" Bella recited, having played out the lie so many times in her head "the impact was so forceful when I lunged forward the seat belt cut into my skin"

A unison of 'Oh's' went up in the group and eventually they went back to their chatter. Angela gave her a 'you go girl' wink while Lauren badmouthed Bella to Jessica who, knowing Mike's infatuation with Bella, was a happy recipient. Jacob stood up and offered his hand.

"How about that walk?" he asked and even though Lauren wasn't plotting anything anymore Bella slipped her hand in his and let him pull her up. They walked in silence as they surveyed the shore line with complete ease.

"You notice how the tide isn't as high or as low as usual today?" Bella asked, Jacob looked at the ocean

"It's a neap tide" he concluded

"Yea" she replied "When the moon is in the first or last quarter, the sun's gravitational pull is in a perpendicular direction of the moon. The sun pulls water away from the areas of high to areas of low tide, resulting in lower high tides and higher low tides, that's how we get neap tides"

Jacob smiled "Someone's been watching the Science Channel"

Bella smiled back "Actually is was a segment on the weather channel titled 'Did You Know?'"

"Well did you know then the tides are at their highest it's called a spring tide?" he asked

"Yes" Bella said proudly

"Oh" Jacob mock-pouted "well at least I don't watch the weather channel like an old person"

"Hey it's the only thing on at two a.m. in the morning" she countered as she looked out to James Island, Jacob's smile changed a bit.

"I thought Sue's tea helped you sleep?" he asked, Bella nodded

"It helps me sleep, sometimes I don't feel like handling the dreams though" A few moments of silence passed as they sat on a group of rocks surrounding a tide pool. Bella leaned her head back and savored the feeling of sun on her skin and the salt water smell in the air.

"It wasn't a car accident was it?" Bella froze as he delivered the question with the precision of an expert and thought about telling him. Whenever he asked a question about why she moved to Forks or about her life in Phoenix, she sometimes had to stop herself from blurting out what happened. Feel like she was back against a wall, Bella focused on the tide pool.

"Do you know hermit crabs have one normal size claw and one claw that bigger" Jacob sighed and looked at the pair of hermit crab wadding in the pool "the male hermit crab will use his smaller claw to drag the female around and the bigger claw to fight off other males until she molts and becomes fertile"

"That's convenient" he comment, then Bella felt him freeze. She turned to see him looking up at the cliff above him. Bella looked up and didn't see anything out of the ordinary but noticed Jacob was on alert. Without warning he grabbed Bella wrist and dragged her from their sitting place to cliff wall. Was he had her pinned between him and wall he crowded his body over hers a millisecond because rock, dirt, and mud rained down on them. Dirt poured over them and Bella coughed.

Jacob put his mouth next to her ear "Try not to breathe."

Bella didn't replied but crowded closer to him. Jacob tightened his gripped around her body and tucked her head under his chin. It seemed like an eternity before the rock slid stopped.

"You think it's safe?" Jacob asked still holding onto her tightly. Bella unattached herself from him but he kept a loose grip on her waist.

"Yea" she answered then looked at her him, then herself before she chuckled "wow, and on the one day each of us decided to wear white."

Jacob looked down at his dirt covered self and laughed with her as he dusted himself off before a sight over her shoulder wiped the smile from his handsome face. Bella turned to see Sam Uley approaching with Paul, Jarred, and Embry behind him. Jacob moved their positions so she was behind him and muttered under his breath.

"Now I wish I were a hermit crab"


	7. Chapter 7: Panic

Disclaimer: I do not own Twilight.

"You two alright?" Sam asked in his booming voice, Bella noticed that even though Sam was asking them both he was staring at Jacob intently.

"We're fine" came Jacob's curt answer "Hello Embry, you're looking well for a sick kid"

Embry had cut his pretty hair short if possible grew taller and gained more muscle and was now sporting a tattoo on his shoulder, the same tattoo the other three guys had. With matching haircuts, tattoo's and body types someone might mistake them for brothers but Bella was leaning towards cult. She felt the tension in the group and the atmosphere grow heavier by the second so she was happy when she heard Angela calling her name a second before she, Mike, Tyler, and Eric came upon them.

"Oh good you're okay!" Angela cried relieved and hugged Bella tightly "Are you okay Jacob?"

"Yes" he answered not breaking eye contact with Same. The staring contest continued as Bella's friends inspected her to make sure she was really okay. The contest only broke when Bella saw Sam glance over to Embry who was staring at Angela who smiled at him. But before Angela could (no doubt) invite the group back to the get-together Sam gave his three minions a look and walked in the opposite direction.

"That was awkward" Bella commented as she and Jacob followed her friends back to everyone else.

"Tell me about it" Jacob muttered "There wasn't even hard wind today so what the hell caused the rock slide?" Bella shrugged before she replayed the moments before the rock slide in her head.

"Jacob how did you know the rock slide was coming before it happened?" he didn't answer her and instead focused on the dirt and twigs in her hair.

"You know, if you're gonna test the motorcycle today we might want to take advantage of the sun and do it soon" Bella forgot about the rock slide in an instant and gave him a wide smile before she bid a quick goodbye to her friends and walked with him back to the parking lot. He straddled the bike and told her to follow him and Bella did until he pulled to a stop on an old road on he said people used to teach kids to drive.

"Okay" he said fifteen minutes later "show me again"

"Ugh" Bella grunted and showed him the gas, clutch, handle brake, and foot break which she apparently wasn't allowed to use.

"Okay, now release the clutch gently" he ordered, Bella loosened her grip and eased forward a bit "good"

Bella barely heard the last word he spoke she was too busy staring at her hands. It was the familiar yet unfamiliar warm tingle that she hadn't felt since Seattle. She didn't know what caused the tingle, or warmth but she knew without it she would most likely be dead and she also knew being on this bike caused the tingles. Without warning and ignoring Jacob's unsure expression she pulled off and started riding down the long road. The warm tingle in her hand grew as did the warmth, Bella realized too late that while she was staring at her hands she should have been staring at the road. When the bike started sputtering she hit the foot break out of reflex but that sent her all but flying over the handle bars. She stopped rolling when she hit a group of large rocks, followed by stars and a blinding pain in her head. She heard Jacob's fast steps and soon he was putting her into an upright position.

"What the hell happened?" he asked then Bella saw him wince "you're bleeding"

Bella froze as a wave of panic surged through her body. She cut the painful spot on her head and confirmed she was bleeding by seeing the red stain on her fingers. She tried to stop the rush she knew was coming but she couldn't and felt the shakes coming "I need to go."

"Okay I'll take you home" Jacob said, taking in her panicked state.

Bella shook her head "No" she choked out at tears clouded her vision and she stood up. Without another word she began pacing down the road, the pace soon turned into a run as her stomach pain started and flashes of memory played in her mind. Blood, a lot of it, everywhere and it was all hers pouring from her wounds. Each time she blinked she was back in her grandmothers foyer trying to crawl away but her palms and knee slid in the large red puddle of her blood. By the time she had stopped running and collapsed on the side of the road the sun had disappeared and rain was pouring down on her. Her white shirt was now transparent and the dirt from her hair mixed with the blood on her head leaving a trail of pinkish brown liquid running over her chest. She was so out of it she didn't even hear her truck pull up in front of her until Jacob wrapped her jacket around her shoulders and pulled into her truck.

* * *

><p>"I'm sorry" Bella said thirty minutes later as they sat in his kitchen, her wearing one of his shirts and a pair of his basketball short while her clothes dried. He was tending to the cut on her head after wrapping the blisters on her feet and shoving her small, freezing feet in pair of his ridiculously large socks.<p>

"For what?" he asked, giving her a genuinely confused glance

"Freaking out earlier" she answered, Jacob smiled softly

"You're apologizing for being human?" Bella smiled a bit then sucked in a breath as he dabbed her cut with antiseptic. Being this close to him made her pay more attention to his entire being. High cheekbones, a subtly pronounced chin, perfect nose, long dark hair that was still a little wet from the rain, and his lips...

"What are you staring at?" he asked, snapping Bella from her thoughts

"You know, you're kinda beautiful" she admitted to him and herself for the first time, Jacob stared at her intensely before he smiled again.

"That would make me feel better if you didn't have a head injury" he joked, causing Bella to chuckled

That night as Bella sat in her bed waiting/hoping for the sleeping pills to kick in she thought about her statement about Jacob earlier. She told him he was beautiful because it was true, she thought he was a good guy because he was, she however had the worst taste in men. At that last thought she rose from her bed an stood in front of her mirror. With shaking hands she lifted the hem of her tee-shirt and looked at the numerous little scars on her chest and abdomen, all of them exactly an inch in length and shinny as new skin could be. Wiping a single tear from her eye, Bella made sure her window was closed and locked before sitting back on her bed and praying for sleep.


	8. Chapter 8: Avoidance

Disclaimer: I Do Not Own Twilight.

**Where are you?**

**From: Jacob**

**Please call me.**

**From: Jacob**

**Getting really worried. Call me.**

**From: Jacob**

**Are you mad at me?**

**From: Jacob**

**Even if I did something**

**just call me.**

**From: Jacob**

**Really, really worried.**

**From: Jacob**

**Not gonna stop until you**

**tell me to.**

**From: Jacob**

**I would settle with a simple**

**text back from you.**

**From: Jacob**

**You can't ignore me forever.**

**From: Jacob**

Bella looked up from her cell phone after she reread the messages she didn't reply to but couldn't bring herself to delete. It was Thursday and she hadn't spoken to Jacob since Saturday. She knew he hating texting, but after he realized Bella wasn't answering his calls he was left with no other options. Bella was currently standing in front of her full length mirror in the embroidered sun dress she didn't wear to the beach and her red cowboy boots that made her smile a bit but all the while she was kicking herself. She let herself have a full on panic attack in front of one of the only good guy in her life. Currently she was dealing with whether or not she should just suck it up, keep hanging out with Jacob, and deal with her inner demons _or_ she should just being around him and not deal with anything.

Fight? or Flight?

"Wow" Bella spun around she Jacob in her bedroom doorway. She didn't hear the motorcycle of Billy's huge truck so she wondered how he got to her house. Suddenly self-conscience Bella threw her light hoodie on and zipped it up.

"What are you doing here?" she asked

"Um" Jacob cleared his throat, taking his eyes off of her appearance and bringing it to her face "making sure you're alive"

"Why?"

Jacob shot her an annoyed look "Because when someone you care about starts ducking your cell calls, house calls, and texts it raises a red flag"

"Well I'm fine so you can go" she told him and sat down on her bed to remove the red boots.

"I can go?" Jacob echoed "Bella, look at me" he demanded. Bella stopped what she was doing and looked up to his towering height "What did I do?"

"_You _didn't so anything" she insisted and watched the realization cross his face.

"But you think _you_ did something" he stated and moved quietly to sit next to her on the bed.

"Bella" he started "You had a panic attack, I know because Rachel used to get them all the time, they're involuntary and spontaneous-"

"A _wink_ is involuntary and spontaneous, Jake, I damn near went into shock" she snapped.

"And you're upset because I saw you" Jacob stood up and gestured to her boots "put those kick-ass boot back on moonbeam, we're going for a ride"

"Where to?" she asked

"Somewhere more scenic, you can bring your camera" he told her, Bella winced when she realized he knew what she liked to do. Bella shoved her boots back on and looked outside of her window to determine whether or not she need a heavier jacket. It wasn't rainy or really windy so she decided she didn't. They walked down the steps and Bella told Charlie she'd be back later before she and Jacob exited the small house. Bella pulled up short whens he saw the Rabbit parked on the curb in front.

"You finished it?" she asked shocked, Jacob held the passenger side door open.

"And the other bike, when you're worried and alone it's good to have an obsession and reason to finish" he just kept staring at her like he was trying to see into her mind, Bella slid into the seat and buckled up after he shut the door softly. The Rabbit was fast, faster then her truck, and didn't sputter at all. He stopped next to the entrance of a known hiking/walking trail and was out and opening her door before she could blink. It was a beautiful trail, fresh smelling and open which made Bella snap picture after picture...well that and so she could avoid looking at Jacob.

There were other people on the trail but not a lot and when Bella stopped to take a picture of a birds nest Jacob used the moment to pulled them both too the side of the trail.

"If you care that I saw you, that means you feel more self conscience around me then you do with other people" he stated but before Bella could interrupt he continued "and when someone feel's self conscience around another person it's most likely because they feel something for that person"

"Jake" Bella warned

"You like me" it was a statement but Bella nodded anyway "And you think I'm kinda beautiful" again she nodded.

"But it doesn't matter" she said sadly, Jacob looked down at her with a frown.

"Why not?" he demanded, Bella leaned against one of the many large trees surrounding them.

"Because you don't deserve someone like me" she insisted and at his confused expression continued "you're so great, and charming, and warm. You don't deserve someone who flinches every time someone touches them, or someone who sees you do all these incredible things but still expects you to turn on her at any moment" Jacob winced a bit

"I would never hurt you Bella" it was a statement of absolute truth.

"I know that...sort of, I feel that deep inside but my feelings have been wrong before. I'm not some car or bike you can rebuild. I'm never gonna run right and you deserve a girl who is at least a fraction as good as you" By now she was lining up her camera to take a photo of her shoes. Jacob crowded close to her and took the camera from her hands gently before using a crooked finger under her chin to make her look up at him.

"Never is a really long time and you haven't seen how great my repair skill are" he gloated causing Bella to chuckle "and as for the kind of girl I deserve, I don't care because the only girl I want is standing right in front of me."

His hand moved from her chin to cheek as he cupped her jaw tenderly. He kept his eyes locked on hers as he dipped his head down slowly, allowing her time to refuse if she wanted. His lips were literally a brush away when Bella let her eyes close to welcome the kiss...then.

"Bella!" came Mike Newton's voice and his notorious bad timing.

"He's getting to be _very_ irritating" Jacob growled as he slowly recoiled from Bella, who stood straight as a nail when Mike walked over to them with Jessica staggering behind with crossed arms.

"Hey Mike" Bella greeted politely still a little flustered.

"Can you read a situation dude?" Jacob snapped, Mike glared at him until Bella broke the silence.

"You and Jessica on a private stroll?"

Jessica chirped "Yes" the same time Mike said "Not really"

"And you two...?" Jessica asked, used to Mike's evasiveness.

"Were just leaving" Jacob said "for somewhere a little more private" Without another word he took Bella's small hand in his and all but dragged her back to his car. He didn't say anything as they entered the small red car and pulled away from the trail opening at a speed Bella didn't think was possible in the car. He gripped the steering wheel tightly and she watched the dial on the speedometer raise higher and higher as they rode down the almost empty roads.

"Should have taken you to my house" he seethed, shaking a bit "Where Mike Newton wouldn't have interrupted us"

"Jake!" Bella pleaded looking at the dash board. Jacob seemed to have jumped out of a dream and looked at the speedometer before quickly pulling to the side of the road. Bella didn't know what to do or say so she rested her hand on his strong upper arm.

"I'm sorry" he said softly as he laid his hand over hers and brought it to his mouth. They stayed like that for a while until he completely calmed down and Bella saw that he wasn't shaking anymore. When he pressed his lips to her pale fingers she pulled it to her lap and felt shiver go through her. Seeing that, Jacob reached into the Rabbit backseat and handed her his worn leather jacket.

"Aren't you cold?" she asked, finally taking in his short sleeved appearance.

Jacob shook his head "Not really, put it on" he instructed and Bella put on the jacket that was at most two sizes too big for her. He drove calmly back to Forks at a steady, safe speed and they walked around the town for a while. Not talking, just walking and Bella let her mind ease until she had to lay her hand against Jacob's chest to stop him from walking into oddly speedy traffic.

"Thanks" he told her but Bella was looking at her his body and more importantly wondering about the heat coming off of it.

"Jake do you have a fever?" she asked "you're really warm"

Instantly a shutter closed on Jacob's eyes and he stepped lightly away from her touch.

"I haven't felt well these last few days" he admitted then looked up at the near dark sky "I should take you home"

The car ride to her house was as quiet as the walk in town and soon they pulled up in front of Charlies 'Bachelor Pad'. He walked around the car like a gentlemen and opened the door for her before walking her to the door. She moved to take off his jacket but he shook his head "Keep It" he said with a pained smile.

"Call me tomorrow?" Bella asked "just to let me know you're okay"

"Definitely" he responded but he didn't meet her eyes. He moved in close to her, maybe to kiss her, but this time Bella hesitated just a second but if was enough for him to notice. Jacob pulled back slightly with a sad expression on his face and instead kissed her forehead lightly.

"Call you tomorrow" he promised and moved back to his car. Bella was mentally kicking herself as she watched the small red vehicle disappear down the street.


	9. Chapter 9: Breaking and Entering

Disclaimer: I do not own Twilight.

He didn't call the next day, or the day after at that. By the time Sunday came around Bella was clutching her phone like a disconnected life line, hoping for any a activity. Maybe he was punishing her for last week when _she_ was was the one not communicating, but Jacob wasn't like that which sparked more concern. Finally on Monday she called his cell and got his voice mail. She then call his house phone (letting herself hope that he wasn't near his cell) and got Billy instead. He told her in a kind-yet-stern voice Jacob was sick and that nobody was to see him. After she hung up the phone she couldn't shake the bone deep feeling something was wrong, well, not wrong but different. She felt a change in Jacob when they were last together and it worried her enough not to believe Billy. On Wednesday Bella called again and again got Billy insisting Jacob was too sick some to the phone himself, saying that the cold made his throat sore. Bella noted that on Monday Billy said Jacob had a stomach bug...not a cold.

"Bella!"

Bella snapped from her thoughts and became aware of her surroundings. It was Thursday and she was standing next to Angela in Home Economics which was one of the only few classes they had together. Bella hadn't spoken to or seen Jacob in an entire week and it was bugging her more than she cared to admit.

"Are you listening to me?" Angela asked, her hands, chest, and some of her face covered in flour as if the idea of a simple pie crust eluded her.

"No sorry" Bella said apologetically as she snapped a few photo's of her friend "What were you saying?"

"I was saying that it is bullshit my entire grade point average could significantly drop just just I can't make a lemon meringue pie" Angela grunted as she attempted to kill the pie crust by rolling it very harshly, Angela then softened her gaze when she looked at Bella "Still haven't spoken to Jacob?"

"No, and I know something is up" Bella replied

"Wanna to a drive by?" Angela asked

"I take it you mean the 'drive by and knock on his door' kind of drive by?" Bella had to ask because knowing Angela it could be a toss up.

Angela nodded "Of course" then she thought a moment "unless he's with another girl in which case the other method of drive by would be appropriate"

Bella laughed lightly until Angela asked in a hesitant voice "Could he be seeing another girl?"

Bella shook her head "I don't think Billy would lie if that were the case" Would he?

"You know what I did last year when I thought Eric was cheating on me?" Angela asked with a smile

Bella winced "I want to think you confronted him in private and discussed it calmly"

"Nope" Angela popped "I tossed his room"

Bella's eyes widened "No you didn't"

"Yes I did, I tossed that room like a prison guard looking for crack" Angela responded proudly

"And what did you find out?" Bella asked

"That he was cheating on me, and that he was into this really rough German porn" Angela shook at the memory "Not missing _that_ relationship"

"Any you're saying I should...?"

"Break into his house and toss his room until you find something to make your bad feeling go away" Angela said as if was an everyday occurrence to break into someone's house.

"And if he is only sick, then not only am I wrong about my feelings but I'm painted as a stalker"

Angela shrugged and smiled "It's the risks we have to take as women"

* * *

><p>"I can't believe I'm doing this" Bella said again as she and Angela pulled to a stop next to a house that was down the way from Jacob's house. They decided to take Angela's little Hybrid instead of Bella's well known Chevy and. As soon as they exited school they hoped in her car and took off like secret agents and Angela loved playing the role.<p>

"You've said that six times but here we are" Angela told her and looked ahead "I can't see if anyone's home"

Bella pulled her camera out of her bag and used the zoom "Billy's truck isn't there and Jake's not home"

"How do you know?" Angela asked with a raised brow, Bella shrugged. She couldn't explain to Angela how she didn't feel Jacob in the vicinity.

"I just do" she answered simply, Angela nodded and the two exited the small car. They walked along the houses to Jacob's back door which was closer to his room, Angela was making spy movie music while they did it. Taking Angela's metal nail file and paper clip, Bella easily opened the back door.

"You can pick a lock?" Angela questioned as they tip toed into the house and closed the door behind them.

Bella nodded "One of my mom's boyfriends was a lock smith" she thought a moment "Well, he _told _people he was a lock smith"

They entered Jacob's bedroom room and Bella took in it's messy appearance. The bed was about as big as hers but took up most of the room by itself. The walls were littered with karate and motocross posters and they're were clothes littering the...well everywhere. Instantly the two girls went to work, looking up the bed, mattress, in the closet and dresser anywhere they could think of. Soon, Angela was looking into the bathroom across the wall when Bella heard her gasp.

"What?" Bella asked and watched as Angela held up a bottle of shampoo with a smile.

"Me and Jacob use the same shampoo, Sue Clearwater makes it herself and it's all natural how-" Angela ducked as Bella sent a dirty sock flying her way.

"Who cares?" Bella went back to looking. She couldn't help but feel a bit guilty about going through his things like this but the moment she stepped in the room the nagging feeling that something was wrong or different got worse. Here she was, surrounded by Jacob, his scent, his likes, his warmth and she sure that something was up. To make herself feel a bit better Bella replayed the statement he said to her last Thursday. _"when someone you care about starts ducking your cell calls, house calls, and texts it raises a red flag." _She checked his closet efficiently knowing that hiding places could be tricky before she stumbled across a shoe box on the closet shelf.

"Angela" she called and sat on Jacob's bed, when Angela sat next to her Bella opened the box.

"Pictures" Angela observed and took a hand full from the box "who are these girls?" she asked

"Rachel and Rebecca, Jake's sisters" Bella answered looking at the photos, Angela cooed as she held up a picture of what looked like nine years old Jacob, Quil, and Embry all with their faces painted different animals. The next few were of Jacob's mom Sarah who died in the car accident that paralyzed Billy. A few of his hiking/camping trips with various people and some of town.

"Is this _you_?"Angela asked holding up a picture of eight year old Bella next to 'just turned' eight year old Jacob at his birthday part.

"Yea, his birthday's in June so I was always here for them until I stopped coming" Bella remembered

"What's with your hair?" Angela asked, referring to the page boy cut Bella had in the picture.

"Some jerk at school put gum in the last day" Bella grumbled as she remembered the chop job her mother did later that same evening.

"Well, _this _one is definitely more recent" Angela said holding up a two by one inch school picture of Bella from her last year as Phoenix.

"He must have gotten this from Charlie" Bella stated as she remembered Renee sending a dozen or so pictures to Charlie last year.

"And it means he must have been crushing hard on you since you were little" Angela said wishfully with a happy expression on her pretty face.

"And look how worn the edges are, he touches it a lot" she continued, then winced "maybe that's not necessarily a good thing given the fact we couldn't find any porn anywhere."

Bella took the pictures from her hands and put them back in the box before putting the box back to it's original place.

"Well if all we have if pictures then we've got nothing" Bella stated

"Yea" Angela agreed "No drugs, alcohol, illegal stolen goods...how boring"

Bella raised a brow "What the hell did you expect to find a ski mask and a some rope?"

Angela shrugged "Leaning more towards a pair of Nike's and a ceremonial robe, more cult type you know? But we did find out something"

"What?"

"Jacob's obviously not sick" she gestured to the bed "or he'd be right here, all cozied up and getting better instead he's mysteriously gone"

"Or" Bella countered "Billy took him to the doctors because he's really sick and I'm insane"

"Rethink that doctor thing Bells" Angela said, her face pale as she looked out of Jacob's bedroom window.

"Why?" Bella asked

"Because our sick little Jacob just walked out of the woods" she pointed and Bella moved to see that it was indeed Jacob, just not _her_ Jacob. This Jacob was shirtless, sporting a new tattoo (the same she'd seen on Sam and his boys at the beach) and he cut his beautifully long hair short. She was so entranced by his drastically changed appearance she noticed a little too quick that he was headed to his house, that she and Angela were currently unlawfully inhabiting.

"Under the bed!" Angela said quickly and she and Bella dove under the bed, met with even more dirty clothes. They held their breathes as they heard the back door open and saw a set of feet enter the room. He sat on his bed and took off his shoes before he stood back up and the girls heard the soft whisper of a zipper. Angela and Bella had to literally cover their mouths when he pushed his short and boxers to his ankles. Each of the girls breathed a sigh of relief when the feet disappeared to the bathroom across the hall. They didn't move an inch until they heard the shower turn on and after they all but ran from the house, exiting as silent as they entered.

"Oh my god!" Angela all but screamed in excitement as they pulled away from La Push "that was soooooo fun!"

"You are my strangest friend" Bella announced

"Well, what did you learn?" she asked "I mean, he didn't look like he did before"

"I'm not even sure that was even really him" Bella murmured "Sam must have gotten to him"

Angela cast her a sympathetic look "So we're back to the whole cult idea?"

Bella shrugged "I honestly don't know Angela"

"Maybe it's something to do with his tribe, some Quileute thing" Angela was trying to make her feel less worried but Bella simply shrugged.

"I couldn't be so lucky"

* * *

><p>Bella pulled her desk chair near her window as she yet again gave into temptation and smoked another cigarette. Maybe she could have kissed him last Thursday, or given a hint that she really, really wanted to kiss him. Maybe if she hadn't been so resistant towards him he wouldn't have went to Sam.<p>

The word maybe was really starting to piss her off.

Here she sat, in front of her open window with his jacket on like some crappy part in a movie where the main character doesn't realized what she had until it was gone. Bella snubbed out her cigarette and inhaled the smell of the jacket into her lungs. It smelled like Jacob, like the woods after the rain had stopped and grease monkey soap. Bella kicked herself again at her own antics. She came here for one purpose, to finish high school with her mind and body somewhat intact, not to get attached to a guy. As if the winds called across the way Bella's cell phone rang and she looked on the caller id. It was Jacob.

"Jake?" she greeted

"Bella" his voice was even a bit different, a bit deeper

"What happened to you? Billy said you were sick and that you couldn't come to the phone?" she couldn't ask him about his appearance because then he would know she was on the reservation today.

"Bella" he said again, his voice sad "we can't hang out anymore"

"What do you mean?" Bella asked, her heart in her throat "Jake, what happened?"

"It's not important, just, I can't be around you right now"

"Jake" she practically cried "you can't do this to me-"

"I'm not doing this _to_ you, I'm doing this _for_ you" he insisted "I said I would never hurt you and that's exactly what I'm doing"

"Then you're failing" Bella grunted out "please Jacob, just tell me what happened, what i did wrong"

"It's not anything you did, it's me" Bella rolled her eyes

"Really?" she asked sarcastically "how original" she was met with a few moments of silence before he spoke again.

"I'm sorry" Bella was going to say something when the call ended and she felt her heart literally stop.

**Authors Note: I know it was a little long before Jacob 'turned' but I really wanted to make Bella's character and feelings known. Keep those reviews coming! Thanks!**


	10. Chapter 10: Limbo and Plans

Disclaimer: I do not Twilight

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It felt like a knife to her gut, and personally knowing the feeling of a knife in her gut Bella could say that and not soung dramatic. She felt like she was floating in limbo again, the space between life and death where she felt nothing but yet you felt everything. Maybe she relied on Jacob too much, he kept her grounded, made her happy but what did she do for him? She lay in bed, face down on her pillow watching her numbers on her clock change. She didn't go to school the next day, she ignored the calls and texts from her friend, and she gave a one word reply to Charlie when he asked her if she was alright. Saturday morning came, Bella took shower, brushed her teeth, and went back to her room and her loving bed. She didn't have to make anything for dinner because Charlie almost always worked late on Saturday, so he ordered dinner from the diner. Sunday came and she did the same things, retreating back to her room afterwards. Monday morning came and Bella had awoken from her daze, refusing to let herself get back into the slump that consumed her being for three months.

If she thought Jacob's parting words were real enough, she would be in hell but she knew something was wrong, really wrong. He looked different, talked different, and acted like he was holding something back. Bella was determined to find out what happened to the warmth in her friends words when he spoke to her. Whether she could it logically was depending on the opinion of one person.

* * *

><p>"He broke up with you?" Angela asked as she and Bella sat in the school newspaper room, Bella had her red boots on top of a desk as she layed back in the chair. Bella was wearing a purple tank top under Jacob's coat with a pair of jeans.<p>

"We were going out so technically no" She explained, Angela rolled her eyes

"Bullshit, you two like each other and all of a sudden he doesn't want to be with you?"

"He said that he was protecting me, and that he wasn't doing it _to_ me but he was doing it _for_ me" Bella informed her

"What the hell does that mean?" Angela demand, typing away on her laptop

"I don't know" Bella admitted "but now I know something is definitely wrong"

"Ha!" Angela exclaimed, causing all the eyes in the room to glance over "mind your business, can't a girl yelped in a room and not get looks?" Bella chuckled as the others went back to work.

"Check this out" Angela continued, Bella lowered her feet and moved to see what Angela pulled up. It was the tattoo that everyone in Sam's cult had that she found on the internet.

"It's Jake's tattoo" Bella concluded

"Yea, when I saw it up close on Embry I remembered it from last years fall festival when the Quileutes told people about their tribes history and stuff, this was in a book they passed around, it says it's called the mark of the wolf but that's it" Angela looked to see Bella looking at her intently "what?"

"When did you see Embry Call's tattoo up close?" Bella asked, Angela blushed

"My car stalled after I dropped you back here on Thursday and he showed up out of nowhere and fixed it for me, it was like out of those stupid movies, he looked at me and instantly butterflies...among other tingling body parts" she finished with a wink

"You seeing him again?" Bella asked, genuinely pleased at her friends look.

"Yea, Wednesday at the grille there's gonna be a band called The Brains so I'm meeting him there" Angela said with a smile then her smile got wider as another thought popped into her head "I have an idea!"

Bella groaned "Last idea you had ended with us hiding under Jake's bed"

Angela pursed her lips "We learned he wasn't sick and he's apparently hanging out with Embry and the rest so it wasn't a pointless mission" she defended and Bella rolled her eyes as the bell rang.

"Well my free periods over" She said standing up and grabbed her pack "talk to you later" She walked out of the student staff room and went to her next class. French, she noticed all the schools up north studied french more than Spanish while in Phoenix the main language was Spanish. She excelled in languages, in fact, if Bella heard someone talking in another language for an extended amount of time she could understand it in minutes, after a while she could speak it. It was a odd trick she apparently always possessed that and the ability to tie a cherry stem with her tongue (something every guy around her thought was 'awesome').

The rest of the day she tried keep Jacob off of her mind. Tried to focus on school work and the gossip of the small town life but she just couldn't. After school she followed Angela to the library and did her homework while her friend scanned the 'Local History' section. She found a few books on the Quileutes history and lore and Bella checked them out and then followed Angela to the cafe.

"So, even though I'm scared as hell to ask, what was your plan?" Bella asked over their coffee, plain black with half and half for her and some vanilla caramel cappuccino for her.

"You go to the grille, flirt with somebody and Jacob will get jealous" Angela said simply, Bella raised a brow

"And how will Jake know I was flirting with someone?" she asked, Angela gave her an 'are you kidding?' look.

"Contrary to popular belief guys are just as good as gossiping at girls, we know Jacob and Embry are hanging out so if Embry see's you flirting..."

"He'll tell Jacob" Bella concluded "you're a real diabolical genius aren't you?"

Angela smiled widely "Damn right I am"

"You're willing to screw up your date to help me make someone I wasn't even going out with jealous?" Bella asked, Angela nodded

"Yea, besides anything I want to do with Embry can't be done in public"

"Angela!"

* * *

><p>"No" Bella said again as Angela held up another top from her closet. It was Wednesday and Bella was at Angela's house for the first time since Angela deemed her wardrobe 'Hot but not hotter enough for our mission'.<p>

"What's wrong with this? it even covers your scar" Angela asked

"Yea it covers the front because it has no back!" Bella exclaimed looking at the revealing albeit beautiful shirt that was held together by two sets of knots. Currently, Angela was wearing a short skit and a mid drift baring top with a pair of heels Bella would brake her neck in. On another girl the outfit would look slutty or too risque but somehow Angela managed to make trashy look classy in it's own way. Bella was in a pair of skinny jeans she forgot she owned and a pair of heels she borrowed from Angela but she had been sitting in her bra for the last twelve minutes as she and her friend disagreed about the top she wore.

"How about this?" Bella asked, holding up a simple loose fitting tee-shirt that was a bit see though. She threw it over her head and inspected herself in the mirror. Her make up consisted of heavy dark eye liner and pale lipstick.

"Paired with Jacob's jacket its simple, classic bad girl" Angela observed "I love it"

They again too Angela's car to the grille and walked inside too see the place was already a bit crowded. Removing her/Jake's jacket she followed Angela to a free table and they ordered drinks.

"Oh there's Embry!" Angela said excited and skipped from the table a second before Mike took her place.

"Bella" he greeted happily "you look great" Funny, Bella thought, Mike was looking at her while when he said that.

"Thanks Mike" she responded using a tone most people would determine to be standoff-ish .

"So I've been meaning to ask you about you and Jacob Black" Oh god Bella sooo didn't want to talk about Jacob with him and was happy when Jessica, who was never too far away from Mike, walked up to her table.

"Mike there you are!" like she ever let him out of her sights "Hi Bella" she ground out.

"Hi Jessica" Bella responded politely

"Come on Mike we're sitting over there" Jessica pointed to a large table currently inhabited by Tyler, Lauren, and Eric.

"Um okay, Bella do you want to join us?" Mike asked in a comically pleading voice.

"No thanks Mike I'm fine" she told him and saw the wave of creepy pleasure cross Jessica's face.

"Yea she's fine Mike, come on" Bella laughed when Jessica dragged Mike away from her as quickly as possible and Angela walked back to the table with Embry.

"Hey Bella" Embry greeted kindly, his arm around Angela's shoulders.

"Embry" Bella greeted and the couple sat down before Angela piped up.

"Mike hitting on you again" Wow, she got into character quick but Bella caught up.

"Yep, who knows maybe I'll give him a shot now that-" Bella purposely stopped and looked at Embry "never mind"

Angela winked at her before speaking again "Bella, why don't you get some shots of the band for the school paper?"

Translate from Angela to English- Go flirt with someone in the band in the visual line of this table.

"You're on the school paper?" Embry asked

"No" Angela answered for her "but she's really good with a camera and I wanted some alone time with you"

"Okay" Embry said appreciatively and Bella took her camera from the jacket pocket and walked to the stage.

"Hi" she greeted "I'm from Fork's High School, can I take your picture for our school paper?"

"_You_ can take my picture for no reason at all" the guitarist said, causing an uneasy feeling in Bella who hid it by taking a few photos. The guitarist was cute, but in the whole Seattle mood music cute with dark hair, eyebrow piercings and guy-liner.

"What's your name?" he asked in a smooth voice.

"Isabella" she responded with a forced smile "yours?"

"Caleb" A cool name, a deep name, and Bella had a feeling it wasn't really his.

"Well Isabella" he continued "we need to finish setting up but maybe you and I could talk more later?" Okay, the uneasy feeling just transformed into full blown nausea but Bella nodded anyway. Caleb took a CD from the display table and wrote something in the inside of the case before handing it to her. Bella walked away after giving him a small smile and receiving a wink. She looked inside the case and saw that 'Caleb' wrote his name and cell number down on the back of the cover. Angela smiled when Bella showed her the number and Embry simply looked on with thoughtful eyes. After a few sets of songs the modified dance floor was crowded and Bella felt sick each time Caleb pointed to her or winked at her. She finally couldn't stand it anymore and moved to leave the crowded space. She couldn't find Angela so she texted her.

**To: Angela**

**Not feeling well so I'm going home, ttyl.**

She slid her jacket on and walked quickly out of the grille. It was nine o'clock so Charlie wouldn't be at the police station so Bella decided to walk home. As she walked past the Grille's parking area she saw Angela's car and her closer inspection has Bella blushing fiercely and laughing to herself. The windows were completely fogged up and the movements of the car made it clear to anyone who looked of what exactly was going on inside. Bella laughed like she hadn't in a while until she heard the familiar sound of Jacob's motorcycle. He pulled up to the curb right in front of her and Bella got a good look at him. It wasn't wearing a shirt, had on jean shorts and a pair of sneakers and that was all.

"Hop on" he instructed and as much as Bella wanted to she instead crossed her arms and shook her head.

"My parents always told me not to take rides from strangers" she snapped and saw Jacob wince.

"I'm not a stranger" he insisted, Bella gestured to his appearance

"_This_ isn't the Jacob I know and-" she cut herself off before she could say the word 'love.' Bella walked around the bike and began in the direction of her house. She heard him set the kickstand down and march after her.

"So you're going to walk all the way home because you're pissed at me?" he asked

"I'm honestly not pissed at you, I just don't get what happened that was so damn secretive or important you couldn't tell me, then I find out your hanging with Sam-"

"We were wrong about Sam" Jacob cut her off as he met her pace with no difficulty "He's trying to help me"

"Help you what?" she demanded coming to a stop and turning to him, Jacob opened and closed his mouth a few times.

"I really, _really_ want to tell you but I literally can't" He was looking into her eyes pleadingly then something else happened. Something deep flared in Jacob's eyes as he looked at her and for a minute she was looking at the old Jacob, all smiles and warmth. She felt it then, looking into his eyes, a 'click' between them before he closed his eyes and swore. Following the 'click' Bella gasped and leaned over as each of her body parts suddenly felt sore, it reminded her of puberty when all her joints and muscles aches.

"What's wrong?" Jacob asked quickly, grabbed her arms to keep her from falling over. Bella noticed that even though he wasn't wearing a shirt and the evening was it's normal coldness that Jacob was still hot to the touch.

"Come on, let me take you home" he gently pulled her back to the motorcycle. Before he let her straddle the bike he zipped up the jacket he obviously recognized and handed her a helmet. Bella didn't ask when or why he got it but put it on quickly and straddled the bike before wrapping her arms around his lean, muscled waist. It was a pretty quick ride until he parked down the block from her house, most likely so Charlie wouldn't hear the motorcycle. Just like before he walked her to her front door and watched as she crossed her arms.

"Sam's helping you?" she asked

"Yes" he insisted

"So it's something to do with the Quileutes?" Jacob looked at her sharply

"Who told you that?" Bella didn't answer his demanding tone. After a minute Jacob wrapped his arms around her and held her tightly to him. She felt his entire body in that hug and clung to him as well.

"Stop trying to figure it out" he ordered "for you're own good" Bella pulled away from him instantly to look at his face. The last comment he made sounded like a threat but the look in his eyes pleaded with her.

"I can't do that" she told him, Jacob inhaled deeply then pinned her with a hard stare. When she matched the stare with equal determination he exhaled and pulled her close again. They stayed like that for a moment before the porch light flickered and the pair turned to see Charlie's head poking out of the living room window.

Jacob chuckled and leaned forward to kiss Bella's forehead "Be careful" he muttered then pulled back "and next time you go into my room, don't bring Angela"

Bella sputtered but before she could find a word to say Jacob was already down the street in a second.

* * *

><p>Speed, elevated body heat, weird tribal tattoo that meant mark of the wolf. Bella read every book she got at the library.<p>

_The mark of the wolf will appear on the band of brothers who protect our tribe. To protect our land they'll take the spirits and shapes of our original ancestors._

_The Quiluetes were decedent from wolves, the strongest animal both in strength and spirit._

_The Quiluetes...wolves...shape and spirit._

Bella closed the book she was currently and looked at the covers.

Quiluetes Myth's and Legends

Part of her didn't want to even fathom the idea, it seemed too...crappy teen drama. In frustration, Bella tossed the book behind her head from her place at her desk. She winced when she heard the book hit her mirror she winced.

"Shit!" she snapped when the mirror spider webbed and broke. Dammitt she loved that mirror. She made her way downstairs to see Charlie rising from the couch.

"What was that?" he asked

"Broke my mirror" she explained

"Did you cut yourself?" Charlie asked as she retrieved the broom and dust pan from the kitchen. Bella smiled a bit to herself, her mother would freak 'How did it break?' 'Are you okay?' 'Sleep on the couch until Phil can vacuum up at the pieces'.

"No, I'm fine" She answered and marched back up the stairs to her room. She, however, pulled up short when she saw her mirror in one piece. Raising and eyebrow she walked over to it and confirmed her suspicion by finding the book she had thrown on the floor in front of the mirror. It had been broken, she wasn't crazy. As Bella sunk into her bed she palmed the book knowing that the only thing that popped into her mind was the one thing she couldn't let herself believe.

Werewolf.


	11. Chapter 11: Discoveries Part 1

Disclaimer: I dO nOt OwN tWiLiGhT

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Eight hours and four cigarettes later, Bella sat in her truck outside of Jacob's house. She had been hear about thirty minutes after she realized their was no way she could go to school with this on her mind. A sight out of the corner of her eye got Bella to turn and see Sam, Paul, Jarred, and Embry walking out of the woods and approaching Jacob's house. She ducked down and snapped a few pictures of the group with her camera until she saw Jacob walk out of his backdoor. She exited the truck and purposely slammed the door bringing all the attention to her.

"Bella?" Jacob questioned as he made his way over to her "what are you doing here? I told you-"

"Werewolf" Jacob couldn't stop himself some visibly flinching at the word "oh my god, it's true"

"You told your fucking girlfriend?" came Paul's angry voice as the rest of the 'pack' made their way over to Bella and Jacob.

"He didn't say anything to me" Bella snapped, Paul walked straight up to her and Jacob pushed her behind him.

"Protect _her_?" Paul was shaking "She's the chief of police's daughter and she knows about us, there's only one thing we can do"

"Try it Benji!" Bella snapped coming around Jacob to meet Paul head on, her action's shocked even her. Paul was bigger than her, and stronger but she wasn't concerned about her safety at the moment.

"Paul!" Sam snapped as Paul snarled at Bella, who put her hand against his face to push him back.

"Back off!" She demanded. A light came from her palm and shot Paul twenty yards across the field causing instant silence. Bella stared at her hand in shock then clutched her stomach as a overtook her. She looked up when she heard a roar of anger and saw Paul rising to a standing position before his body contorted and, right before Bella's wide eyes, Paul the man became Paul the wold. Okay, not either of the two kinds of wolves her Hollywood-warped mind envisioned. He was just an average wolf or the standing, humanoid werewolf instead he was just a giant wolf. A giant wolf whose angry snarl was headed in her direction. Bella felt Jacob's strong, warm hands gripping her upper arms before he practically tossed her into Sam's rock hard chest and shifted. Jacob's wolf form was just as large as Paul's if not a little bigger and was apparently equally as strong as the two charged at each other in a storm of bites and scratches.

"Bella" Sam's voice snapped her out of her observation "are you alright?"

Bella nodded, not yet able to form words yet and Sam turned to Embry and Jarred.

"Take her to Emily's" he ordered "Do not let her out of your sight"

Bella watched Sam run off in the direction of the woods Jacob and Paul disappeared to. Jarred drove her truck while Embry sat in the bed and Bella still didn't say anything. The thoughts in her head were too many to choose which to voice. Maybe she was dead? Died on her grandmother's faux marble floor and everything that happened after was some weird purgatory. Maybe she was in a mental institution? Suffering from delusions brought on by post-traumatic-stress-disorder. Even as she thought it she knew it was simply wishful thinking. Jacob, Sam, Embry, Paul, Jarred and who knows who else...were werewolves. She looked up when her truck stopped and found herself staring at a humble, craftsman style home set right beside the woods with a huge porch and windows littered with flowers and greenery. The large french doors were open showcasing a large wooden table piled with food.

"Ah sweet, we're right on time" Jarred said happily and exited the truck the same time Embry hopped out of the bed.

Halfway to the porch the guys turned and gave Bella a pointed look. Getting the hint, Bella got out of her truck and walked behind them into the house. Their was a female fluttering around the kitchen wearing a blue sundress an a cardigan that made Bella think of Donna Reed and assumed the female was Emily. When she turned to look at Bella, Bella noticed that the right side of her pretty, tan face was marred by three ugly scars that looked a bit like claw marks.

"I take it you're Bella?" Emily asked with a warm smile

"Yea" Bella answered

"Jacob talks about you a lot" Emily informed her, then thought a moment "well, he thinks about you and the other guys talks about you"

"Especially after last night" Jarred muttered and moved to dig into the food.

"Hold it!" Emily scolded "ladies first"

"Of come on!" Embry cried

"Just because you turn into wolves doesn't mean you can behave like animals" she said sternly before smiling at Bella again "waffle? muffin? I have almost everything"

Bella was going to decline, her nausea not yet passed, but the looks the guys gave her said one thing. Is she didn't eat-they didn't eat and the last thing Bella wanted were two hungry werewolves on her hands. The second she touched a blueberry muffin the guys dug in.

"So Bella" Embry asked between bites "Did Jake tell you about us or what?"

"No" Bella said leaning against the far hall while watching them intently "in fact he told me to back off"

"Well if you broke into my bedroom I'd tell you to back off too" Jarred pointed out, Emily chuckled a bit.

"How did he know I was there?" Bella needed to know.

"Your smell" Embry said, mouth full of food until he noticed Emily's glare and swallowed. The exchange made Bella laugh a bit, the two guys at the table were taller, stronger, and definitely scarier then little Emily but they seemed to be more intimidated by _her_.

"My smell?" Bella asked, a little put off until Jarred explained

"Yea, not like stink but your scent, it's very peculiar" he said with inspecting eyes.

"Yea, your smell plus that little light show you put on make us think your not as human as we thought" Embry finished

"Light show?" Emily asked

"Paul got in Bella's face" Sam explained walking to the house "so Bella shot a beam from her hand" Bella then watched Sam kiss Emily tenderly on the lips for a while before he pulled back and planted little kisses on the scarred side of her face causing Emily to giggle.

"Yep" Embry said completely unphased by the make out session behind "shot Paul's hot head a good distance away"

"Then Jacob took a chunk out of him" Jarred finished "serves Paul right coming after Jake's girl"

"Jarred" Emily warned and Jarred resumed stuffing his face just as Bella turned and saw Jacob and Paul walking into the house. Before Paul sat down he turned to Bella with a sheepish smile that didn't suit his tough look at all.

"Sorry" he apologized and sat down to eat, Jacob moved to stand by her. Apparently, feeling Jacob's heat was a reminder of what situation she was currently in.

"Werewolves" she muttered a second before darkness took over her and and slumped in Jacob's arms.

"Aw" Emily smiled with sympathy "poor thing held out as long as she could"

* * *

><p>Bella woke up in a warm bed with a face hovering dangerously close to hers. Gasping she threw her fist out and hit the face's nose with a satisfying crack in both her hand and his face. She sat up and wished she could see around the dimly light room better and as if on cue the window blinds went up expect it wasn't a person who did it. She saw that figure clutching their nose was in fact Embry right before the rest of the pack filled the room.<p>

"Ow!" Embry whined while the everyone looked amused except for Jacob who sat on the bed next to Bella and inspected her sore hand.

"Sorry" Bella said "it was mostly a reflex"

Embry glared at her "Mostly?"

"You screwed my friend last night in the backseat of her car, that compensates for the rest of the punch that wasn't a reflex" the pack erupted with laughter. Bella got out of the bed and turned to Jacob when he grabbed her wrist. She let him lead her down the stairs and out of the house and they walked a while until Jacob stopped then in the middle of a clearing and Bella knew he was waiting for her to say something.

"You're a werewolf" she stated again, Jacob nodded "why?"

"It's not really a choice Bella" he told her "it's simple, vampire comes onto our land and the blood-lust sets in"

"Blood-lust?" she asked

"We don't get turned into werewolves" he explained "it's always in our blood, few members of the tribe have it, and when vampires show up it kicks in because that's when we need it"

"Vampires?" Bella questioned

"Yes" Jacob winced "Bella, vampires exist and there our only enemies, they kill people and-"

"The bear attacks, were those vampires?" Jacob nodded "and you all protect La Push?"

"No" he answered "we protect any land right now and we're doing it, the vampire hasn't managed to kill anyone else and we want it to stay that way"

"You protect any land right now?" she asked

"Yes, if the Cullen's, a family of vampires, move to Forks then we can only protect Quileute land because of a stupid treaty my great-grandfather made with them years ago" Bella froze almost instantly and reached into her pocket or her pack of cigarettes only to realize she didn't have her jacket on.

"Cullen?" she asked pacing back to Emily's house "As in Carlisle Cullen? Dr. Carlisle Cullen?"

"Yes" Jacob answered, instantly weary as Bella entered the house again and located the jacket before she dug out a cigarette and light it while under the suspicious eyes of the whole pack.

"Bella" that was Sam's voice "how do you know the Cullen's?"

Bella didn't answer at first and instead stood on the porch smoking. Vampires, werewolves, and Angela that's who she surrounded herself with and apparently vampires and werewolves were each others only enemies and Bella...didn't even know what the hell was up with her. Snubbing out her bud, Bella turned back to the awaiting looks of the group. She turned around and pulled her long hair up to show them the bite mark she had on the back of her neck and instantly heard the growls emerge before she turned back around.

"The Cullen's saved my life" she explained "that's how I know them"

"They're vampires" Embry pointed out

"I know that too" Bella retorted "but they still saved my life"

"Where?" Jacob seethed, shaking fiercely but Bella didn't notice as a wave of pain washed through her.

"Seattle"

**Author's Note: Discoveries Part 2 will come later on and next Chapter we finally find out what brought Bella to Forks and what happened in Seattle.**


	12. Chapter 12: Seattle

Disclaimer: I do not own Twilight.

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"Well" Bella said "if you want the whole truth when I should start at then beginning."

"Oh!" Jarred said with a smile "story time."

"Shut up" the group said in unison.

"It started back in Phoenix last summer, it was an end of the school year party and even thought I knew it was a bad idea I went anyway and that's where I officially met Daxton Samuels. He was a senior this year and I had stars in my eyes. The relationship started pretty normal, going to the mall, movies, and other things and he was so sweet but then he started changing. He wanted to knew where I was all the time, told me what I could and couldn't wear by telling me the clothes I liked didn't look good on me. I even started to train for cheer leading because he said it would be so hot if he was the captain of the basketball team and I was head cheerleader. By the time the school year start I barely recognized myself. I really snapped out of it when I was in the hair saloon about to get my hair bleached blond and I broke up with him a week before homecoming."

"He handed it in the predictable way, saying he dumped me because he found out I was cheating on him, thought I was too clingy, he found found out I was a prostitute because I gave him every STD in the book, the usual. I didn't care, I didn't have friend before so it didn't bother me when people avoided me like a virus and talk behind my back. That lasted for about three weeks and then Dax did a total about-face. Suddenly he wanted me back and he was sorry, he told everyone he loved me. I thought it was a scheme, to get me back and then humiliate me but then the calls to my cell and house, so many calls all the time the phone never stopped ringing. We changed our number four times in two months. He drove by my house anytime he knew I was there, followed me to stores and skipped his classes to sit in on mine. My mom called the principle and he was suspended and told to stay away from me but he didn't listen and was expelled but he got worse. Phil began having to drive me to and from school but by that time school became unbearable due of the the other classmates giving me hell for getting the basketball captain expelled."

"I stopped going to school, stopped eating, stopped sleeping, and stayed in my bedroom all day and night waiting for him to break through my window. The cops either could or wouldn't help me and when my mom talked to Dax's parents they basically blamed me, When we flew up to visit my grandmother Olivia for thanksgiving I was so relieved I almost slept through dinner. No calls, no texts I was so happy I didn't think that he knew where I was until the day after thanksgiving" Bella closed her eyes as tears blurred her gaze and Jacob touched her hand comfortingly.

"My grandmother went to take left overs to the homeless shelters and Renee dragged Phil with her to go shopping. I was upstairs reading when I heard the door open.

* * *

><p><em>"Grandma?" Bella called as she descended the stairs, her bare feet cold at the doorway. She definitely heard the door open and Renee always made a noticeable entrance.<em>

_"Hello Isabella" she heard a second before an arm came around her neck and a knife slashed the side of her throat. She dropped immediately and covered the wound with her hand. Dax looked crazy, crazier than before because the gleam in his eyes was pure evil. He brandished the long blade mockingly and he stalked towards her._

_"This didn't have to happen" he said calmly as she tried to move away. He crouched low and yanked her to him by her ankle. "You simple could have loved me!" he stuck the knife into her stomach and Bella screamed. The scream gave him sick satisfaction and he stabbed her again and again._

_"Why don't you just finish me off you fucking coward" Bella sputtered as blood came from her mouth._

_"Because sweetheart" Dax stroked her cheek lovingly "we haven't yet consummated our love, then we can die together, like Romeo and Juliet" Bella's panic rose as he fumbled with he zipper of her jeans. No, he may kill her but she wasn't going die after letting him inside her. She screamed louder and louder but Dax only laughed and moved to kiss her. Bella brought her hand to his face and pushed him away. Her hand felt warm and all she saw was a flash of light before Dax was unconscious across the room. Bella didn't hesitate to make her way to the front door, slipping in the pools of her own blood._

_Unfortunately, her grandmother lived a good quarter mile from her nearest neighbors and Bella collapsed on the side of the roar. She was about to pass out when she felt and icy, cold hand touch her cheek and her eyes shot open to see a beautiful blonde man staring down at her with concerned eyes._

_"You poor child" he soothed "I can save you but it will be very painful"_

_"P-please" Bella whimpered "I don't w-wanna die"_

_He nodded and looked at the wound on her neck before he turned her on her side and that's when Bella noticed the other guy next to her. She felt the blonde lift up her hair followed by a white hot pain that overtook her entire body. She twisted and screamed but the pain wouldn't let up._

_"Carlisle" the other guy said "something's wrong"_

_"It's not working" 'Carlisle' said in amazement "Edward, get her to a hospital now"_

_Bella felt herself being lifted into someones arms before the darkness surrounded her._

* * *

><p>"Next thing I knew, I woke up in a hospital room with my mom crying and police posted at the door. Dax got away and the doctors told me if my 'friend' had gotten me to the hospital a minute later I would be dead" Bella laughed darkly "A couple weeks later Carlisle came o see me and told me everything about him and his family but I think he was there because he wanted to know about me. The police offered me round the clock protection until they found Dax but I said no. I also knew Dax would most likely come after me again so I figured what better place to live than a town where your dad is the chief of police?" Jacob wrapped an arm around her and gently pushed her into the window seat when she finished.<p>

"If he bit you" Sam asked "How are you not a vampire?"

"I don't know and Carlisle was just as shocked as you. He thought it had something to do with my blood so he took a few vials and it turns out I have a blood known as type E" Bella explained.

"There's a blood type E?" Embry asked

"Sorta, doctors label blood as E if the blood type test continually test as inconclusive"

"Meaning?" Jarred asked for the first time Jacob spoke as he picked up on Bella's explanation.

"It's the blood type you get when you have no blood type" Paul looked at the Bella intently.

"Bella" he started "don't take this the wrong way but what the hell are you?" Bella simply shrugged.

"And in Seattle was the first time the light thing happened?" Sam asked.

"Yes, then I felt it again when I was riding the motorcycle then last night my mirror shattered then somehow repaired itself" she explained.

"Then you shot Paul across a field and made the window blinds go up by themselves" Embry remembered, Bella nodded.

"It really only started last night, right after Jacob dropped me off" All eyes immediately went to Jacob and the guys started speaking in what she believed was Quiluete. After a minute or so of conversation Bella caught the end of what Jarred was saying.

"You think it's a coincidence that her freaky shit apparently kicked into overdrive the same night you imprint on her?" Imprint? What the hell was that?

"Maybe the imprinting kicked it off but definitely has something to do with her" Jacob defended.

"'Something' is exactly what she is!" Paul snapped "she shoots beams of light from her hand, apparently healed Billy and can't be turned into a vampire, I don't even think she's human."

"Shut your fucking mouth!" Jacob roared in english and Bella thought another fight was going to break out.

"I need to go home" she pipped up "schools been out for an hour and I have to get back before Charlie does." She had obviously been knocked out for a while because she noticed Emily preparing a huge amount of food for dinner.

"I'll drive you" Jacob growled while still glaring at Paul. Bella said goodbye to Emily who made Bella promise to come see her soon before Bella and Jacob got in her truck. The ride was mostly silent as Bella recounted everything she learned that day. Okay, Jacob was a werewolf who apparently imprinted on her and his only enemies were vampires like the Cullens who saved her life. Her ex-boyfriend was still on the loose but honestly, that was the last thing on her mind for the first time in months.

"Hey" Jacob said from the drivers seat "any further away you're gonna become one with the door."

"You're a werewolf, vampires are attacking people and I don't have a blood type, what the hell am I? Am i even human? Am I Bella Swan? Maybe my parents bought me from a carny or maybe I was switched at birth on purpose like the kid from the omen-Oh my god what if I'm the antichrist?" Bella dropped her head on the dash and groaned while last comment made Jacob laughed "it's not funny!"

"Yes it is come here" he ordered while pulling Bella under his arm.

"You are Bella Swan, you look exactly like your mother and act like your father. You're favorite ice cream is peach and you can't sleep without a a night light. You are sweet and kind, but stubborn as a wind-broke mule and you once cried while watching a nature documentary about poachers who kill of mama lions just to steal their cubs."

"It was sad and we were like six!" Bella defended

Jacob laughed again "Either way, that's who you are. Despite your new little talents you have you are still the same girl who pissed Sam off because you postponed my turning"

"What do you mean?" she asked with a curious look pointed at him.

"When the blood lust set's in, most of the time anger kicks it off but I was always around you so I didn't get angry a lot, if ever" he told her, Bella immediately paled

"So this happened because I ignored you for a week?" she asked, Jacob shook his head

"No, I'm pretty sure this happened because of that squirrely little Newton kid pissing me off" Bella chuckled a bit.

"Mike's not that bad he just has a little crush on me" Jacob rolled his eyes.

"He's just a little in love with you" he growled and Bella snuggled back up to him and he relaxed instantly.

Pretty soon they parked in front of her house and Bella asked if he wanted to stay for dinner. His gaze went lax for and second before he nodded and followed her in. She mixed some simple ingredient into the crock pot and turned it on before she returned to the living room where Jacob sat.

"So" she started "what's it like?"

Jacob smiled "It's intense, everything is amplified ten fold, every sight, smell, sound, touch" he trailed a finger down her arm and Bella shivered "The speed is the best though that and the heat, I can stand in a snow storm without a shirt and feel fine, the snow will become rain around me"

"You're a little high on yourself aren't you?" Bella asked teasingly then froze as Jacob suddenly dipped his head to her neck and inhaled deeply.

"You smell like lavender and baby powder" he said, his lips brushing against her neck before her pulled back. "And you haven't eaten anything all day"

"How do you know that?" she asked.

"Because the only thing on your breath is toothpaste and cigarettes" Okay she officially stopped smoking "and your stomach is growling"Jacob finished with laughing eyes before he resumed trailing his fingers up and down her arm. Bella really wanted to ask him what imprinting was but couldn't explain how she heard the term.

"I like you Bella" he said out of nowhere and Bella froze "Maybe more than just like"

"Jake-" he cut off her

"Everything is on the table, nothing should be holding you or me back from doing what we want" he cupped her jaw and moved to lay her back across the couch. Jacob then moved himself over her smaller body and lean down to finally touch his lips with hers. Bella was fully prepared to welcome the kiss when he suddenly stopped and pulled them both up.

"Charlie just pulled up" he explained, Bella groaned and watched as Jacob obviously tried to get his body under control. "Us being interrupted has become an annoying tendency."

Bella thought about his 'heightened senses' and about her currently frustrated state and looked at him sharply.

"Can you like, sense me right now?" Jacob turned to her "like, smell my-"

"Yes" he growled with heated eyes and Bella blushed a bright red knowing Jacob could sense how turned on she was. Luckily Charlie walked in and broke the tension, happy to see Jacob as usual. Charlie and Jacob had casual chatter over dinner and Bella ate mostly the vegetables in her stew having never been big on meat. After dinner Charlie went to relax in front of the television and Bella walked Jacob back outside.

"How are you getting home?" she asked

"I'll there in under two minutes" He reminded her of his beloved speed and Bella nodded. They stood in silence until Bella sucked up her courage and rose to her toes and kissed him lightly on the lips. He smiled widely and touched his forehead to hers, his eyes half closed.

"_That_ will keep me satisfied until next time moonbeam" he kissed her forehead and took off running down the street.

* * *

><p>Jacob couldn't wipe the smile from his face as he walked into his house after leaving Bella. He relished in the fact that the anticipation of his kiss got Bella aroused and it was nice to know he wasn't the only one. He pulled up short when he saw Embry sitting at his kitchen table with his laptop.<p>

"What?" Jacob asked, Embry winced

"Well good news and bad news" his pack mate told him "the good news is Quil's fever spiked tonight and will most likely turn soon"

"And the bad news?" Jacob was afraid to ask and by Embry's uncommon paleness he was right to be worried.

"I typed in Daxton Samuel's name on Google, and found something interesting" Embry turned his computer around to show Jacob the picture he pulled up "notice anything?"

Jacob wanted to hit something, he wanted to tear Daxton Samuel's head from his shoulders and use his skull as an athletic cup.

"That's the vampire we've been hunting"\

**Authors Note: Next chapter Jacob and Bella's relationship heats up and Bella gets help from a new character.**


	13. Chapter 13: Questions

Disclaimer: I do not own twilight.

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"Do you think werewolves can eat chocolate?" Bella asked Saturday morning as she and Angela sat at the cafe. When she went back to school on Friday she had told Angela the basics of what happened on Thursday, that Bella had found out that Jacob and the others weren't in a cult and that she and Jacob had made up. She and Angela were heading up to Port Angeles to go shopping for a Fork's summer which basically was like a California early spring according to Angela. Bella didn't say anything about the whole werewolf thing though.

Angela shrugged while eating her croissant "I guess it depends on which kind of werewolf your referring to"

Bella raised a brow "What do you mean?"

"Most western beliefs say werewolves are men who turned into wolves but a lot of eastern and Slavic cultures say the opposite, that werewolves are wolves who take the shape of a man" she explained

"Let's say the western definition" Bella answered, a little curious about Angela's knowledge of the subject.

"If a man turns into a wolf then I would guess he has the same taste pallet and tolerances" Angela told her

"How do you know this?" Bella had to ask, Angela smiled

"This new age book store I wanted to show you in Port Angeles called Sacred Circle Books" she told her, Bella raised a brow.

"Sacred Circle?" she questioned

"Yea and we should get going too" Angela said and the girls moved to her car (given the fact Bella didn't trust her truck to make the trip). Port Angeles was an thirty minutes plus north and the car ride was mostly quiet until Angela's phone signaled a text.

"Get that more me" Angela said and Bella dug into her friends purse for the phone **(Angela is a giving you a lesson, don't drive and text)** until she found the phone.

"It's Embry, he says 'What are you doing today babydoll?'" Bella quoted causing an instant smile on Angela's face.

"Text him, heading up to P.A with Bella, can I stop by your place after for-"

"I'll text him the first part" Bella cut her off because knowing that Angela would have no problem describing what she wanted to do with Embry. Her phone dinged again and Bella winced when she saw what Embry had texted.

"He says to call him when you get back" Bella summed it up for her, not wanting Angela to turn the car around because if Jacob promised to do the things to her that Embry promised Angela then Port Angeles would be the furthest from her mind. They arrived in Port Angeles and little after that and Angela parked her car near the Sacred Circle Book store. It smelled like burning herbs and had that meditation music playing. While Angela was preoccupied with candles Bella found a section of books on the paranormal/supernatural. She got three books on werewolves and two books on vampires before the a tall woman in a white dress walked up to her.

"I have no seen you hear before" the woman had an accent that was almost impossible to detect so Bella though she was born in the states but was raised by people who weren't.

"I just came with my friend" Bella answered her

"Your friend I know" the woman held out her hand "I'm Lydia"

"Bella" She shook the woman's hand and instantly felt an electric shock, Lydia smiled.

"You like vampires and werewolves?" Lydia asked looking at the books in Bella's hands, Bella shrugged.

"More like curious about them" Bella told her honestly, Lydia looked at her with a knowing gaze before Bella excused herself and walked to Angela. Bella paid for her items while Angela was still debating what necklace to get. By the time they got back to Angela's car Bella noticed Lydia had slipped a few more items into her bag. She decided to wait to look at those as she and Angela made there way to the mall.

"So" Angela started "since you and Jacob are back together I thought it would be a good idea to get you some new, sexy lingerie"

"Angela, Me and Jacob's currently relationship status doesn't require lingerie" Bella informed her

Angela rolled her eyes "Please, showing a hint of bra with make him hard in an instant, besides a girl doesn't need an excuse for sexy lingerie"

Five new sets of Victoria's Secret underwear, some new clothes for a Fork's Spring, and a stop by the Panini Palace later the girls enjoyed their day out. Went to two movies and on their way out of Port Angeles, Angela stopped by a pharmacy only to return with a jumbo box of condoms. She said that if Bella bought condoms in Fork's that the entire town would know the chief of police's daughter was sexually active. Bella replied that she wasn't sexually active and Angela reminded her the condoms were good for over a year. Angela drove Bella home and promised to see her Monday. Over dinner, Charlie remarked on how happy Bella had been lately given the complete wreck she had been before.

_'Please don't say the 'J' word, please don't say the 'J' word, please don't sat the 'J' word'_ Bella pleaded in her mind.

"So you and Jacob are getting pretty serious hm?" Charlie asked

_'Shit'_

"I think we're just playing it by ear you know?" Bella said in what she hoped was a 'I-don't-want-to-talk-about-this-with-you' voice.

"That's good" Bella praised the fact Charlie didn't bombard her with uncomfortable questions...which reminded Bella to call her mother sometime soon. After she washed the dishes Bella took a shower and brushed her teeth as was her usual nightly ritual. She currently lay in her bed with a book on werewolves in her lap with her cell phone rang.

"Hey" it was Jacob and Bella felt a light fluttered in her stomach and for once it wasn't nausea.

"Hey" she greeted "where are you?" Bella had this strange feeling that he was close, a warm comforting feeling but it was still strange.

"Outside your window" he answered and when she shot to open her window and sure enough he was down there smiling up at her.

"Back up" he ordered and Bella sat back on her bed before she hung up her phone. Jacob launched himself through her window feet first and landed at the foot of her bed. He was shirtless again, and barefoot but Bella was mostly focusing on his chest. Jacob took in her bed ready appearance happily and that's when Bella remembered she was in a small black tank top with 'Smart Girlz R Hott!' stretched across her chest and a pair of black boy shorts. She tried not to blush brightly as she slid her terry cloth robe onto her body and stared up at him.

"Did you get taller _again_?" she asked, Jacob nodded

"Think I'm about six-eight now" he told her proudly

"Christ, king sized beds aren't even tall as you!" she told him, Jacob thought a moment and smiled down at her wolfishly.

"Funny how your mind went from my size to a bed" he inquired, Bella turned towards her closet when he sat on the end of her bed.

"What are you doing here?" she asked while trying to covertly kick the Victoria's Secret bag into the closet and close the door.

"I missed you" he admitted with out hesitation and Bella smiled.

"Well the proper method if you miss someone is to call, suggest a drink" she said as she approached him slowly, Jacobs eyes held something she couldn't identify.

"Yea but I never climbed through someone's window before and the fact it's the chief of police's house makes it all the more...dangerous" Bella laughed

"Jake, you hunt vampires all day so why would you risk being shot by my dad?" At her mention of vampires a shadow crossed over Jacob's eyes but he quickly covered it up with a mischievous smile and cupped her face in his hands.

"Because you are so worth the risk" he told her a second before his lips captured hers. This wasn't like the little peck she gave him in fact it wasn't like any kiss she had ever had before. This kiss held everything that Jacob was. Dominate but gentle, passionate but patient, and most of all possessive. His kiss was a brand of pure ownership that she matched toe for toe giving him a single truth, he was hers just as much as she was his. Jacob wrapped his muscled arm around her waist and pulled her on top of him then flipped her over so that her back was on the bed. With one hand in her hair Jacob used his other to open her robe quickly and pulled her up a bit to toss it across the room. Her toes curled as he moved his kisses to the right side of her neck and his fingers trailed a path from her knee to inner thigh. The pair only stopped when every candle in Bella's room flared to life.

"It's good to know I can inspire that sort of reaction from you" Jacob said proudly as she blew each candle out and sat next to him on the bed.

"I blame the who primal animal magnetism thing" she grumbled

"Blame whatever you want" Jacob said pushing himself up against her headboard and wrapped his arms around her "what's wrong?" he asked when she doubled over and began breathing deeply.

"Feel sick" she told him "always happens after something weird happens" Bella rested her head on Jacob's chest until the nausea passed.

"Can you eat chocolate?" she asked, Jacob looked at her oddly before answering.

"Yes"

"Hm" Bella thought a moment "does monkshood do anything to you?"

"Monkshood?" Jacob asked

"Wolfsbane" she elaborated and Jacob understood.

"Well, wolfsbane is poisonous to regular humans but as a werewolf poison that's a myth" he told her, Bella picked up her book again.

"Does silver do anything?" she asked flipping through the pages.

"No, all Hollywood bullshit" he informed her "why don't you ask me straight out what you want to know?"

"Is there anything that can hurt or weaken a werewolf?" she asked, Jacob shrugged.

"I don't know, now let's get back to the kissing" he offered, Bella shook her head.

"Not a good idea" she told him "given the whole fire thing"

"To hell with that, let's cause a firestorm" he whispered, his lips tickling her ears.

"And when my house burns down?" she asked

"I'll build you another house" he answered simply, Bella laughed.

"How about until we figure out what the hell is wrong with me, we cool it" she offered, Jacob looked at her sharpy.

"One) there's nothing wrong with you you just have a gift you can't explain or currently control and two) I _hate_ that idea."

"Okay" Bella thought a moment "How about until we figure out my 'gift' we only, like, get physical outside?"

"Outside?" he echoed "Bella, there's a vampire on the loose."

"Which is why you shouldn't be worrying about kissing me!" she reminded him fiercely. Jacob opened and shut his mouth numerous times before he finally spoke.

"Doesn't all my work protecting the town make me eligible to get some lip privileges?" Bella had a feeling he wasn't saying to her but she decided to leave it alone. The two of them talked until dawn, about werewolves, themselves and about the lingerie she had unsuccessfully hidden. Jacob apparently heard Charlie awaken and moved back to the window. Bella kissed him quickly and watched as he jumped down and landed with pure ease. Knowing she couldn't sleep without risking her whole sleeping pattern, Bella pulled the book Lydia had stowed in her bag.

'Energy Magic for Beginners'


	14. Chapter 14: Latin Lesson

Disclaimer: I do not own Twilight.

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Bella woke up when her alarm clock sounded and was about to turn it off when a tan arm shot from behind her and almost broke the clock. Bella smiled and rolled over to see Jacob smiling down at her. This had become his recent habit in the last two weeks, entering her room while she was in the shower and sleeping next to her during the night. He told her Sam wanted him to keep an eye on her and he figured he could kill two birds with one stone, keep an eye on Bella _and_ get a good night sleep. It was Friday and all week at school Bella was helping Angela with the towns Spring Festival all the while researching about anything and everything related to werewolves and vampires to a point where the librarian most likely thought she was an occultist. Luckily, one new thing that sprung up was her and Jacob's relationship that she still hadn't labeled. Their was a 'click' that was always there, a bond but he had yet to officially ask her to go out and she will admit to being a bit old fashioned in ways of dating.

"How long have you been awake?" she asked

"A while" he answered sheepishly as he stroked her arm lightly.

"What have you been doing?" she asked

"Watching you breathe" Okay, that definitely kicked the butterflies in Bella's stomach into overdrive.

"I still haven't believed Charlie hasn't found you in here" she remarked rising from the bed and choosing her clothes for the day. Jacob pulled up to a sitting position as he watched her movements.

"He checks in on you sometimes at night" he told her and at her wide eyes he continued "I woke up when i heard his door open and ducked into your closet before he peeked inside"

"Oh" Bella grabbed a pair of jeans and a tank before she went to the bathroom to change. Each time he came over she still was overcome by the feeling he wasn't saying something to her, she still wanted to know was 'imprinting' was and even when he was asleep next to her on top of the covers (due to his body temperature) Bella felt the alertness in his body. On the other hand, she might just be feeling guilty for not telling him just how hard she was looking into him and others like him. After washing her face and brushing her teeth she walked back into her bedroom to see him putting his shoes on.

"How's Quil?" she asked while putting on the long sleeve, wrapped tunic.

"Great at shifting into a wolf but has difficultly shifting back" Jacob talked about the newest member of the pack with a look of slightly amusement. "Luckily the vampire hasn't shown up for a while"

Bella went to her desk draw and handed Jacob a energy bar at which he laughed "What?"

"Wouldn't it be nice if I didn't have to sneak out and _we_ could have breakfast together?" he asked

Bella thought a moment "Well, I think cleaning your blood off of the kitchen tiles after Charlie shoots you would kill my appetite" Jacob laughed and moved to her window before he threw one of his legs out.

"Plus" Bella continued "Angela says you only give a guy breakfast after he gives you something that deserves it" Jacob eyes darkened immediately and Bella regretted her teasingly words.

"_That_ sounded like a challenge Miss. Swan" his voice was that husky and low tone that made Bella shiver.

"No it was-" he cut her off by kissing her soundly. It was another one of _those _kisses, the toe curling, goosebump making, 'I want to do so much more than just kiss you right now' kiss.

"I better go while Charlies still in the bathroom" he said pulling away, Bella smiled and didn't speak when his kissed her again this time it was his 'I'll see you later' peck and he was gone.

"I hate your flowers" Angela said enviously as she and Bella made paper flower after paper flower in the art room.

"You just need a gentle hand" Bella told her

"I'm a photographer, the extent of strength I need is the exact amount of strength needed to click and button and occasionally zoom in" Angela reminded her "Everything before of beyond that has to do solely with my eyes" Bella laughed as her friend tapped her pink rimmed glasses proudly.

"Embry pulled a Jacob last night" Angela said a few minutes later, Bella paused and looked at her.

"Should I know what that means?" Angela giggled

"He climbed in through my window" she explained and Bella nodded "it was so cute and we slept together"

"You've been sleeping together for almost three weeks" Bella pointed out and ducked a flower Angela threw at her.

"I mean we actually slept, that was the first time that happened" Lauren looked over at them with a snide smirk.

"Slut" she murmured under her breath as she and Jessica tied the balloons together, Bella looked at them sharply and smiled when the tie holding the largest group of balloons broke and sent the balloon to the rafters of the large art room.

"Karma" Angela sang and Bella instantly felt guilty. She hated hearing Angela talk about Embry with that goofy look of elation on her face and not be able to tell her about him. She hated talking about Jacob and not scream out 'He's a werewolf!'. Bella really hated not telling Angela about the little talent she acquired.

"Anyway" Angela said "he left before I woke up but before he left he wrapped this around my wrist."

It was a braided suede bracelet held together by a metal clip, little gems and shells were splayed around it making it look handmade.

"Cute" Bella commented, not willing to get a little jealous about it.

"Oh know!" Angela squealed happily, then calmed a bit "have you and Jacob officially 'slept over'?"

"What did I say about air quotes?" Bella reminded, Angela rolled her eyes.

"Well did you?" she asked, Bella shook her head "Why now?"

_'Oh because the last three times we got hot and heavy I burst a water pipe, knocked over everything on my dresser, and turned on every light in the house without flicking any switch'_

Bella shrugged "I think I'm not quite ready yet" she responded, Angela nodded.

"I can understand that, giving what your last boyfriend did to you" Ah, the only thing Bella could tell her and she did a week ago. Angela was in tears by the time she finished and hugged Bella for over an hour, calling her the 'strongest woman she knew'.

"Yea that's it" Bella said and focused on her flowers. Before she left, Bella took the thee paintings she did for Emily. Painting was something she hadn't done in a while but recently she had been doing it to keep her mind off of 'other' things. The time she spent as Emily's was pretty relaxing, the air always seemed fresh on the Quiluete reservation which was a bit odd seeing as it was literally next to Forks. She parked outside and say Emily watering her flowers and the pack was nowhere in sight, luckily. It wasn't that Bella didn't like the pack, but all Paul and Sam did was stare at her like she was an insect while Jarred all but ignored her unless he made some stupid joke about her and Jacon's lack of consummated relationship and Embry and Quil still treated her like a friend.

"Bella!" Emily said happily and hugged her tightly "are those my paintings?"

"Yep all dried and ready to hang" Bella said proudly

"Great, come in I made pie and coffee" Bella followed Emily into her kitchen and sat at the bar while Emily poured her a cup of coffee and sliced her a piece of pie.

"These are so gorgeous I want to pay you" Emily complimented looking at the water colors of columbines, larkspurs, and sweet williams.

"You're paying me with coffee and pie" Bella told her and Emily smiled at her sweetly before looking for a place to hang the paintings. Bella felt a warm feeling in her stomach before Jacob and the guys walked in.

"Ah sweet pie!" Jarred said happily and at the mention of 'pie' the rest of the pack's ears perked.

"Hello to you too" Bella deadpanned, Jacob hit Jarred on the shoulder before he leaned down to kiss Bella. He moved his hand to the small of her back and pulled her closer, deepening the kiss until Bella pulled away.

"I don't want to burn Emily's house down" she told him sternly, Jacob groaned but back away to get a piece of pie. "Is that going to fill that insatiable pallet of yours?"

"For a while, I ate a deer while I was patrolling" he told her, Bella raised a brow.

"A deer? Like a live deer?" she shook out, Jacob shrugged.

"We can't always eat Emily or our parents out of house and home" he told her and Bella nodded in somewhat understand. As the guys relaxed in front of Emily's television, Jacob looked at the paintings Sam was hanging for her.

"_Aquilegia flavescens, Delphinium exaltatim, _and_ Dianthus barbatus_" he recited the flowers real names and Bella smiled as she looked up from her sketch pad.

"Oh I love it when you speak Latin" she kissed him playfully, Jacob sent her a heated look.

"Let's go for a walk" Bella smiled and took his hand before they walked from the house. Bella grabbed her camera from her truck and Jacob led them down a path that was always a good place to take pictures. She also remembered that he liked to take walks so that they could make out without any disasters happening, well, once a tree branch broke and nearly hit them but Bella didn't think that was her fault...she hoped.

"Buttercups" she announced and snapped a few pictures of the colorful flowers.

"_Ranunculus acris_" Jacob followed up, Bella turned and smiled up at him again.

"You are so smart" she praised, Jacob smiled down at her.

"I sure did earn that early diploma from La Push" She thought he was going to kiss her again but instead he pulled her up a path they hadn't gone up before. It was a little bit of a hike until they came to an old, obviously run down house. It was large, the paint really faded and the porch was very worse for wear. The barn that was apparently an accompaniment to the house was in the same condition but Bella actually, sorta, liked it.

"What is this place?" she asked as they walked up to the house.

"This was my grandparents house before they passed away" he explained "sometimes the pack waits out the really bad rain here and now I'm bringing you"

"Oh great" Bella said sarcastically "I love the smell of wet dog and asbestos"

Jacob gave her a look and shoved her inside the house, the inner was a bit better than the outer. Given the types of magazines found and the snack bags and soda cans lying about it was cleat the place was frequented by teenaged boys. Bella scoffed when Jacob wrapped his arms around her waist and started kissing her neck.

"You're really planning on seducing me _here_?" she asked him "amid the porn and Funions bags?"

"No, upstairs" Bella pulled herself out of his grip and crossed her arms.

"I would be even less inclined to do anything here of all places, it looks like a huge gust of wind will turn this place into a tumbleweed and there is no way I'm going up those stairs" She said firmly, Jacob nodded.

"Fine" Without warning, Jacob tossed Bella over his shoulder and with one leap they were on the second story landing.

"Look" Jacob said after he put her down "this place was built by Ephraim Black, my great-grandfather and his father, it's lasted over a century, a century of storms and blizzards, the historical society even took a sample of wood from the house and it hadn't warped or anything which is pretty odd for a house around here, so let's risk breaking an unbreakable house." Jacob then showed her a room that had a mattress in the middle of it.

"Romantic" Bella dead panned but was secretly excited about the idea. Jacob turned her around and kissed her soundly, so soundly that Bella forgot about any doubts she had. The kiss turned more passionate when Bella removed her tunic and pulled his tee-shirt over his head. Soon they kicked their shoes off and were on the mattress with Jacob was kissing his way down her neck and chest. Bella rubbed his shoulders eagerly but hesitated when he moved to remove her top completely.

"What?" he groaned out heatedly then realized "you don't want me to see your scars" Bella nodded and Jacob leaned back a bit to look into her eyes.

"Bella, there is no way your body could inspire anything from me but this" he grounded his hips against her thigh and Bella felt the erection through his jeans. Instantly back in the mood, Bella pulled her top over her head. Jacob dipped his head and continued his trail down her body. She felt her toes curl as he kissed each and every scar on her abdomen before he moved back up to kiss her. Bella moved her hands between them and moved to the zipper on his jeans which made him work on her belt bucket. Jacob unhooked her bra and was about to bring her pert, pink nipple into his mouth when her phone rang.

"If you don't ignore it I'm tossing it out of the window" he growled, Bella flipped them over so that she was straddling him and grasp her phone.

"It's Alice I have to take it" she explained and brought the phone to her ear "What's up?"

"What are you doing right now?" the an odd thing for Alice to open with but Bella was honest with her.

"Taking photo's of my sexually frustrated boy-toy" she answered with a smile while snapping a few pictures. "Why?"

"Daxton Samuel's is a vampire and I think he's the vampire that's been terrorizing Forks" Bella nearly dropped her camera and looked around, expecting him to burst in at any moment. Jacob (having heard the conversation) took the phone from Bella's shaking hands and said goodbye to Alice.

"A vampire?" Bella stuttered in a panic as she threw on her tank and shoes, ignoring her tunic and bra which Jacob collected for her.

"Relax, we''re handling it" he attempted to assure her, something clicked in Bella's mind.

"You knew!" she accused and at his slightly guilty look and lack of speaking. "You knew! You lying son of a bitch!" She screamed and punched him as hard as she could.


	15. Chapter 15: Anger and Research

Disclaimer: I do not own Twilight.

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"Three fractured knuckles and one that's almost completely shattered" Charlie observed as he stood next to Bella who sat on the hospital bed getting her mangled hand wrapped.

"How did you manage that while hiking?" Charlie asked.

_'Oh I punched an apparently unbreakable werewolf for lying to me about my ex-boyfriend being a bloodthirsty vampire just seconds after I was prepared to give it up to him on a dirty mattress located in an abandoned house he and his werewolf buddies use of a rain shelter'_

"Protecting my camera" Bella lied effortlessly. Charlie accepted the lie easily and Bella wondered if her father secretly knew all the things happening around him but choose to ignore it.

"Luckily Jacob was with you and drove you here." Charlie gave the tall sixteen year old on the other side of her another appreciation. "Thanks again, Jake."

"Anytime." Jacob answered, not quite reciprocating Charlies kind tone.

"Yea," Bella broke in with a wide smile. "Lucky me I have Jacob." Charlie petted her head affectionately before he with the doctor to sign her out.

"I didn't lie to you." Jacob said as soon as the two adults were out of ear shot.

"I don't know what kind of warped relationship you think we have that makes lying and omitting two separate things but not telling me is the same as lying to me." Bella countered.

"I didn't want you to know because I didn't want you to panic." he insisted.

"Good luck now asshole, my psycho homicidal ex-boyfriend is now a psycho homicidal newborn vampire!" Though she wanted to scream at him she kept her voice low. "At least now I know that I can't hit you with my fists, next time I'll use a fucking shovel!"

"No," She continued "I know what it was, you liked hot, bothered, and mind-at-ease Bella so much you didn't want to risk me going all cold on you!"

Jacob stared at her in honest shock at her words.

"Do you really believe that?" He asked and before Bella could respond Charlie walked back up to them.

"Okay Bells you're all cleared to go, here's some of the pain medication," he handed her the orange pill bottle before he turned to Jacob. "Jake, do you mind driving her home? I don't want her to drive with the anesthesia in her system and I can take you home after I get off of work." Which, because it was Friday, would be late and Bella mentally groaned.

"No problem" Jacob said and Bella rolled her eyes as Charlie walked them to her truck.

Luckily, the ride to her home was silent. Apparently Jacob was picking up on her 'If you speak to me right now I'll find a way to kill you' vibes. Dax was a vampire and according to Carlisle, newborn vampire were the most dangerous kind of vampire there was. Bella was going back and forth between anger and fear. How could Jacob not have told her? Even in Quiluete he never discussed with his friends, obviously taking advantage of the telepathy he shared with the pack. Did they know? Did Emily? How could have slept next to her these past couple weeks and not say a word? Would he had made love to her without saying anything? Was this the only thing he kept from her? No. He still hadn't mentioned a word to her about imprinting. All the while she was seething at Jacob, Bella thought of Dax. How long had he been a vampire? Who created him? How long had be been in town? How many other people had he killed? Did he watch her? Were her loved ones in danger? How long would it take for her to pack a bag and make a run for it?

"I will not apologize for wanting to keep you both physically and mentally healthy." Jacob proclaimed as they pulled to a stopped in front of her house.

"Then how about you apologize for not telling me!" she yelled, slamming her door shut and marching up her porch.

"I wanted to handle it first!" he shouted following her up to the house, she tried to shut the door in his face but his foot held it open. "We're not done talking about this."

"You haven't talked at all!" She screamed as she paced her living room, Jacob shut the door behind him.

"If Alice hadn't told me would you have told me?" she yelled.

"No!" Jacob admitted "Not until I killed the bastard and- whoa!" he ducked as she threw a book at his head.

"Because you're an arrogant (throw) lying (throw) horny (throw) mutt!" She screamed and marched up her stairs to enter her room. "Do Not Follow Me!"

Bella slammed her bedroom door shut and looked around frantically, looking for anything to take her anger and fear out on. Narrowing her eyes on her dresser, each drawer opened in unison and Bella grabbed her small duffel bag from her closet and began shoving clothes into it. She would call Charlie from the road and where she would end up she didn't know. She pulled the cosmetic bag out of her desk draw and counted how much money she had stored that decided it was enough for now. Bella marched back down her stairs and saw Jacob still pacing the living room, he stopped when he took in her belongings.

"No!" he was in front of her blocking the door in an instant "you're not running away."

"It's none of your business what I do!" she screamed at him but he wouldn't budge and pinned her with a harsh stare.

"You won't even fight? You hear his name and suddenly you're a little scared rabbit"

"I already fought him!" she screamed, finally letting the tears run freely "and i nearly died!"

Jacob's eyes softened instantly as she all about collapsed in front of him. He sat down and drew her into his strong arms as she sobbed into his chest.

"You didn't cry about it when it happened did you?" he asked softly, stroking her back comfortingly. "You talked about how your mom was crying so much and how everything was so scared for you, you held it in for their benefit didn't you?" She didn't answer but continued to cry and let everything out as he held her tightly in front of the door. They stayed like that for a while until she stopped crying and Jacob carried her up the stairs and back to her bedroom. He put her back on the bed and moved to re-close her drawers then next to her on the bed.

"How did he even know where I was?" she asked, Jacob shrugged.

"We don't know, but maybe he's not coming after you" Even when he said it Bella knew he didn't believe that.

"We have to tell Angela and Charlie I hate lying to them" she insisted

"I'm not so sure about telling Charlie, if he doesn't already have an inkling. Anytime he's not here or at work he's on the reservation with my dad and Henry so he's protected but I do agree with you about Angela" Bella was laying against with her head tucked under his chin and in her current state she realized she didn't want anymore secrets between them.

"I've been researching everything about werewolves and vampires" she admitted, Jacob nodded.

"I know" Bella turned to look up at him and he smiled "we only have one town library and you can't hide things for shit" He reached an arm around him and pulled three books from under her bed before he put them back.

"Is Daxton the only vampire in town?" She asked resuming her position under his head, Jacob shook his head obviously not willing to lie to her again.

"No, there's this other leech who's a woman, but she's mostly been keeping the guys on their toes" Bella raised a brow.

"What do you mean?" She asked, Jacob shrugged.

"While we were tracking him she attacked Quil and Jarred from behind" he sounded angry about that fact.

"Are they okay?" Bella asked, which made Jacob laugh a bit.

"Yea, but if they'd been alone they wouldn't have been. As a pack we're strongest individually a really strong leech is a problem but not much" He informed her, Bella nodded and then thought of another question that popped into her head. She rose from her laying position and sat against the head board with Jacob looking at her through curious eyes.

"Jake, what's imprinting mean?" He tensed immediately and looked around the room as if trying to find an exit strategy which he didn't find.

"Where did you hear that?" he asked, Bella inhaled and answered him in Quiluete.

"From you" Jacob's eyes widened as she spoke the language he didn't think she knew. Instead of questioning her on how she knew Quiluete or how long she knew he sat against the headboard next to her and sighed.

"I imprinted on you, that Wednesday your mirror broke and fixed itself, I basically claimed you as mine" He answered looking at her deeply "I looked into your eyes and suddenly you were the air I breathed, you became the gravity holding me to the earth and you became the only reason I need to do what I do. I gave you everything when I imprinted, my mind, my body, and my soul. At first it scared me because of how intense my feelings and needs were. My need to protect you made me want to hide you from the world but my need to keep you happy stopped me from doing that." He grabbed her hand gently and brought it to his lips, not quite kissing but just holding it there. "And my need to make sure you never feel pain or fear again kept me from telling you about Dax"

"I'm still pissed at you" she told him as she lay her head over his chest and let the steady beat lull her to sleep.

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><p>"Bella!" Bella's eye shot open as she no doubt started to fall asleep in front of her laptop again. She hadn't slept in four days, not since Alice told her about Daxton being a vampire and her breaking her hand on Jacob's hard skull. Luckily, Bella already had experience in the whole not sleeping thing and found other things to do instead of sleep. She finished the decorations for the spring festival, done more research about 'shooting beams of light from hands' and even got sucked into helping Angela begin planning the prom...how that skinny little female made Bella do things she didn't want to do was a mystery.<p>

"Sorry, you were saying?" Bella asked Alice via web chat, the pixie haired vampire smiled at her sympathetically.

"Why don't you get some sleep?" she asked, Bella shrugged.

"Because Jacob's still in the dog house and I'm refusing to let him into my bed, unfortunately I can't sleep without him" She admitted.

"Ha ha, doghouse" Alice laughed, then sobered up. "I was telling you about the woman I saw with Daxton"

"Could they be together and I don't have to worry about anything?" Bella asked in mock hopefulness, Alice shook her head.

"No, she made him I saw that, granted a little too late, but she has another reason to be there with him" Alice explained, Bella raised a brow.

"Then what does she want?" she asked, Alice shrugged.

"I'm not exactly sure but I see him more than I see her which means she's around the mutts more than he is."

Bella leaned back as a thought crossed through her mind. Vampires only enemies were werewolves so why would one, single vampire risk being around wolves for so long? Bella remembered Jacob telling her it was the black haired leech that attacked Quil and Jarred from behind while they were tracking Daxton. Son of a bitch.

"I have to go" Bella told Alice before she signed off of web chat and pulled up a search site. She never typed or read so fast in her life but her ideas were confirmed as she read the news titles.

Three Seventh Sons Killed in Buenos Aires, Argentina.

Five men and two woman die by strange animal attack in Icha, Romania.

Animal attack leaves two dead in Lativa.

Three woman killed by an unknown animal in Armenia.

Four Navajo men killed by an apparent bear attack.

All of those titles kicked off the bells in Bella's head. Each place and type of person were in the books and research Bella had done on werewolves. All the apparent 'animal attacks' made sense a bit but the people killed by them didn't. She knew the legend of the seventh son of a family of all boys in Argentina, people believed that they were the only one who could suffer the curse of _El Lobizon_, a werewolf. Icha, Romania was located close to the Carpathian mountains where the most werewolf sightings and reports came from in Romania. In Latvian folklore, a _vilkacis_ was someone who transformed into a wolf-like monster. Bella knew in Armenia, women were cursed to spent seven years as a wolf is they commit a sin. The Navajo really made her worry because any story of werewolves in the southwest led back to the Navajo skin-walker legend but she couldn't confirm without hacking a little, which was something she knew one person could definitely do. Bella pulled her cell phone from her pocket and dialed Angela.

"Hey, I need your boyfriend number"

"Can you hack into the Navajo police records?" Bella asked Embry as he sat in her kitchen.

"Sure why?" he asked, Bella walked up the stairs and brought her lap top back down with her.

"Tell you later" she said "just do it"

Fifteen minutes later Embry hacked into the police records and Bella typed in the names of the four men killed in the 'bear attack.' Yep, her fears were confirmed, each of the four men that died had complaints against them for being suspected skin-walkers which was an offense on Navajo land.

"Son of bitch" she muttered and Embry looked at her with a curious stare. "I think the woman that attacked Quil and Jarred is here for _you_ while Dax is here for me"

"You lost me" Embry told her, Bella pulled up the other websites.

"Each group of people killed by animal attacks were all in areas that have legends about men who turn into wolves, She made Dax so that while you guys were hunting him she would be hunting you."

"So...?" God, he was really thick to be a technically genius.

"The bitch is killing off werewolves"

**Authors Note: Next Chapter, Jacob meets the some of the Cullen's for the first time and Bella is given an escape route.**


	16. Chapter 16: Meetings and Escape

Disclaimer: I do not own Twilight.

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After school the next day Bella hurried over to Jacob's house and saw Billy on the front porch sitting and talking for a girl around Bella's age if not a little older. When she saw the resemblance to Billy and Jacob, Bella realized it was Rachel Black. Now was so not the time to get reacquainted with an old friend but Bella forced a smile and exited the truck.

"Hey Bella" Billy greeted as she walked up to them, Rachel turned and smiled at her.

"Bella Swan!" she announced and came off the small porch to hug Bella tightly. "Jake has been talking non stop about you"

"Hey Rachel, how are you?" Bella asked kindly, Rachel shrugged modestly and that's when looked towards the woods and saw Paul, in wolf form, peeking over at them.

"You know, life as a college girl is pretty even seeing as it's going to be my last year next semester" Rachel answered then looked over at the woods and back to Bella. "And yes I know Paul's over there keeping watch, he's been there a while and Jake barked at him five times already"

Bella stared at her in shock but Rachel simply gave her a knowing smile.

"Rachel it's really nice seeing you again but right now I have to go bribe your brother for his car" Rachel nodded in understanding.

"No problem, we can hang out at the Spring Festival on Saturday, Jacob in the garage" She answered and with a quick hello and 'how are you' to Billy walked to the garage. Jacob was ducked under the hood of a pick up truck and looked up as she stepped behind him.

"I need your car" was her greeting, meaning it to by cold and curt.

"Hello Bella, I'm fine despite Paul sniffing around my sister since she showed up, I'm not on constant alert because I'm worrying about you and now I'm not worried because you and Embry discovered that some leech is picking off werewolves one by one, now what can I help you with?" he recited sarcastically and crossed his arms, Bella rolled her eyes.

"I need your car and maybe you can do that without sarcasm" she asked/demanded again.

"Why do you need it?" he asked

"Heading up to Port Angeles to meet someone" she answered, Jacob narrowed his head.

"Someone...?" he asked

"Someone who can't come to Fork's without causing a bit of trouble with your pack" She explained, realization crossed his face.

"You think I'm going to lend you my car to go visit a Cullen?" he asked looking at her like she was crazy, Bella threw her arms up.

"You have zero right to be snippy with me and if you intend to get on the _sidewalk_ of my good side I would seriously check your attitude but fine I'll just take my truck and be back at one midnight" She snapped and moved to exit the garage, Jacob used his werewolf speed and was in front of her in an instant.

"Stop" he told her softly and Bella noted his whole frustrated demeanor changed. "I'm sorry"

"Uh huh" Bella didn't apologize but loosened up her stance.

"Why don't I drive you?" he offered, Bella shook her head.

"The vampire woman will attack, she only attacks when you guys are alone and you need to stay here" she told him, Jacob knew she was right and looked uneasy.

"I don't care, you're not going all the way to Port Angeles alone" He said, then an idea popped in his head "we'll just have to pair up"

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><p>Bella saw Paul shoot another glare at Jacob from his position in the Rabbit backseat and suppressed her laughter. Granted, the whole 'travel in pairs' trick worked in almost all situations Bella figured Jacob just wanted Paul away from his sister for any amount of time. They pulled into the shopping centre and Bella got out of the looked for the entrance to the <em>Cafe Diplomatico<em>. Jacob was at her side while Paul was dragging behind, obviously upset he had to be here. She entered the cafe and saw Carlisle, Alice, Edward, and Emmett sitting in the private back corner. Jacob and Paul tensed at the smell of vampires but let her walk back to them.

"What's up type E?" Emmett greeted with a huge smile which Bella returned, allowing him to give her a bear hug.

"What's up caveman" she replied and Jacob growled at the physical contact.

"Down Cujo" Emmett joked and released Bella who sat across from Carlisle while Alice pushed a cup towards her.

"It's hot chocolate" She told Bella with a smile and Bella accepted the sweet hot drink lovingly.

"You all that's here?" Bella asked

"Rosalie's at home working on another project and Esma took Jasper on another trip of self control" Carlisle told her.

Jasper hadn't been a 'vegetation' vamp as long as the others and he reacted violently to the smell of Bella's blood. Carlisle Cullen looked a bit like an angel from a classic Italian painting. Delicate features and golden blonde hair, he looked in his late twenties if even late but he had apparently been around for centuries. Alice Cullen was a short, raven haired pixie who age was unclear to all and she reminded Bella of a rabbit...who just happened to see the future from time to time. Emmett was a huge, dimpled, teddy bear with a booming voice and smile that attracted everyone's attention. Edward had what Bella would call sun-kissed brown hair and kind eyes but he often seemed lonely. Bella guessed being surrounded by couples in love for decades would do that.

Jacob and Paul sat at the table across from them all with their backs against the wall and Bella noticed the perfect vantage point of the spot. They could keep an eyes on everyone in and entering the cafe and didn't have the risk of someone sneaking up behind them. They did act like soldiers sometimes but it was the other times they acted like idiots Bella remembered most of all.

"You quit smoking" Edward said out of nowhere, Bella was going to ask him how he knew that but remembered the whole 'heightened senses' thing.

"Yep, but I'm thinking of taking it up again" She admitted sipping her drinking.

"Ah don't do that Bell" Emmett said with a smile "it'll kill you and since you can't become of of us you'll be _really_ dead" Jacob growled again but Emmett ignored him.

"And if I'm dead who will you have to pick on?" Bella asked with a smile.

"Exactly" Emmett told her.

"How are you Bella?" Carlisle asked kindly, Bella shrugged.

"Still trying to figure out what the hell I am but other than that I'm peachy" she responded, Carlisle looked sympathetic.

"Well, regarding the other matters I believe you're right, that a vampire has been killing off werewolves one by one" Bella shivered and wanted desperately to sit next to Jacob but she toughed it out.

"Why?" She asked

"We're not sure" he said apologetically. "The Volturi claim to know nothing about it but when I looked into the killings I found something that linked all of them together other than what the people were"

"What?" Bella had a feeling she wasn't going to like the answer.

"You're blood type. In each place of the killings there's been at least one person listed with Blood Type E." Carlisle answered, Bella winced.

Yep, she definitely didn't like it. "And what happened to them?"

"Shortly after the killings, they disappeared" Carlisle told her, from the corner of her eye Bella saw Jacob recoil as he ready to strike.

"We think she killed the wolves to get to the people with your blood type" Alice told her "and perhaps the werewolves were protecting them."

"Which is why we want to give you this" Emmett pulled a brown package from a messenger bag Bella figured Rosalie got him. After about thirty minutes of idle chat, Bella bid goodbye to her vampire buddies and followed Jacob and Paul back to the Rabbit.

"I feel like I'll never get their stink off me" Jacob growled as Bella palmed the box.

"Jake" she warned and he nodded, gripping the steering wheel so tight Bella thought it woulds snap off.

"I know, they saved your fucking life" he glanced over to her and relaxed a bit. "What's in the box?"

"I'll open it later" She told them and remained silent all the way back to Forks.

Sitting at her desk, Bella secretly wished Jacob would come through her window. It all came back to her, everyone around her was in danger because of what ever she was. Sighing in frustration, Bella opened the brown box given to her by the Cullens. Inside there was a new I.D, passport, and social security card with her picture but a different name. Travel brochures to everywhere in Europe, Australia, and New Zealand. They had given her a couple stacks of money as well but along with that a jar of dried herbs labeled as Belladonna and instructions how to fight and kill a vampire in Carlisle's elegant script. They were giving Bella two options, run or fight.

Run for her life?

Or

Fight for her life?

Bella was honestly torn.

* * *

><p>Jacob paced erratically around his living room with Jarred, Quil, and Embry sitting on the couch watching him. Bella hadn't gone to school, she wasn't at him or anywhere Jacob checked. Someone saw her in her truck early in the morning and she wasn't answering her cell phone. Charlie told him Bella felt sick in the morning and had gone to Devonshire to get some medicine that the pharmacy in Forks were out of. The guys thought one of the leeches had gotten to her but Jacob knew she was alive, he just felt it. She was alive but not here which made him more frantic.<p>

"You can't really blame her" Jarred stated, Jacob's glare snapped at him.

"Shut up" Billy advised from the kitchen.

"What the hell was in that box?" Jacob growled.

"Angela said she hadn't heard from Bella either" Embry said looking down at his cell phone.

"Not helping!" Jacob snapped then he stopped, his wolf senses picking up something. He felt her, Bella, here on his land and Jacob was out of the door in a second. He didn't shift but simply ran towards her scent. Bella was sitting on the porch of Ephraim Black's house, not moving just staring into nothing. Jacob stopped in front of her and visually inspected her for any injuries. He was about to say something when she opened her mouth.

"They gave me a way out" she recited, Jacob tensed. "New identification, passport, and money to go anywhere. I thought about it a lot because every fiber in my body it telling me that everything that happened and that will happen is my fault. I watch those television shows and moves where the main character is the centre of all these problems and I told myself if I was ever in that situation I would want to die to save the people I love" Jacob growled in protest of the statement but Bella ignored that.

"But I'm not like them, I'm not helpless" Bella stood from the porch and walked up to him. "I'm going to stay and fight for my life here, and for my life with you"

She didn't say anything after that and if she meant to who would have known because Jacob's lip muffled any words. He lifted her up until she wrapped her jean clad legs around his waist and walked her into the house and up the stairs. He continued kissing her until he had her on the mattress. Jacob pulled her top over her head and followed by their shoes. Bella fumbled with the zipper of his jeans as he trailed kisses down her chest. Jacob had pulled off her jeans and returned to her chest. Jacob tensed as he kissed between the v of her breast where he scent pulled and recognized the scent. His wolf surged forward, demanding him to claim his mate while Jacob fought like hell to pull away from her.

"We can't" he breathed heavily "we have no protection"

"I'm on the pill" Bella insisted to him, Jacob shook his head.

"Doesn't matter, if we have sex right now you will more than likely get pregnant" he told her, Bella looked confused.

"What are you talking about?" she asked

"You're ovulating" he stated and Bella froze "when an imprinted ovulates she basically goes into heat, she's needy and aching and _very_ fertile"

"I'm...fertile?" Bella asked hesitantly

"Yes, and if we have sex without a condom, pill or no pill I'll get you pregnant" he said, Bella groaned and let her head fall back on the mattress.

"That's just, great" she snapped and Jacob sent her a wolfish smile.

"It can be" he said and moved slowly over her body and kissed her hand while his hand drifted between them. Her gasp were like music to his ears as he pushed his hand under the waistband of her panties and shoved a finger inside of her. She was so wet she was basically drenching his hand and it took all his self control not to remove his pants and make her his. His thumb fingered her clit as two of his other fingers thrust in and out of her hot core. When he felt her clench around his hand Jacob kissed her and swallowed her scream of orgasm felt the whole house shake, literally.

"You're eyes are yellow" Bella noted breathlessly, Jacob tense but then relaxed.

"Well little moonbeam, you broke the window" he told her and Bella pulled herself up see that she had in fact caused the window to spiderweb and even the door was splintered.

"Imagine what's gonna happen when I really get inside you" he chuckled deeply and kissed her again.

**Authors Note: Where did Bella go while she was away?**


	17. Chapter 17: First Confrontation

Disclaimer: I do not own Twilight.

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Bella felt wired, anytime she sat still she had the urge to run around whatever room she was in a few times. She had woken up early and had 'accidentally' crushed her fathers old watch to pieces which made him wear the modified watch she had gotten him yesterday that had a small compartment filled with powdered belladonna. She had filled the necklaces she purchased with some of the dried belladonna and re-potted some of the Belladonna seedlings into other pots. She purchased the seedlings, more herbs, and jewelry at the Sacred Circle Bookstore and had an awesome conversation with Lydia while she was there.

_"Do you have Belladonna?" Bella asked after the other customers left, Lydia nodded._

_"Belladonna, also known as Deadly Nightshade, grows on the shores of the Mediterranean and in my backroom" Lydia recited and handed Bella a shopping basket "there's dried belladonna on the wall back there and a few other objects that can come in handy"_

_How the hell would she know that?_

_"Did you read the book i gave you?" Lydia asked before walking to through the beaded curtain separating the store from the backroom._

_"Yes, and I am frustrated because it didn't teach me anything about control" Bella all but snapped, Lydia returned with two trays of sprouting seedlings and sat them on the counter._

_"You obviously didn't finish the whole book, try this one" Lydia said and handed Bella another hard back book._

_Welsh Mythology._

_"What does this have to do with me?" Bella said leaving the book on the counter before she marched to the herb section and filled up on belladonna. She also took a few necklaces she could fill with the herb discretely before walking back up to Lydia._

_"I think you may find the answer to what you are in the book" Lydia told her, Bella raised a brow._

_"I'm not even Welsh" Bella told her, Lydia looked at her pointedly._

_"Are you sure?"_

_"Yes" Bella insisted a little less sure then before, she near her dad was Italian and her mom came from Irish folks but maybe something else._

_"Take the book anyway, free of charge with your other purchases" Lydia said tallying up the total for the other items. Bella narrowed her eyes at the woman and palmed the book suspiciously before paying the total._

_"Do you now what I am?" she flat out asked, Lydia shrugged innocently._

_"I'm just a shop owner" Lydia told her and handed Bella her bag._

Bella didn't read the book yet and was to busy being frustrated at Jacob for imprinting on her and turning her into a bag of hormones and being mad at Jacob for not helping her through it. She was sweating and anxious and every time she touched something, something went hinky. Two water fountains broke, a computer short circuited and the soda machine broke as well (granted allowing everyone to get free sodas). Not only that, every guy in the school was looking at her like she was the last meatball sub in the cafeteria.

"Are you okay?" Angela asked as Bella stood near the open art room window fanning herself.

"No" Bella groaned and Angela nodded in understanding.

"Oh, it's the _other_ time of the month for you" Bella stared at her in question until Angela explained how she knew. "A week after me and Embry started hooking up I started feeling hot and sweaty and horny and every guy around me noticed, then Embry and I hit the sheets for a few hours-"

"Are your parents ever home?" Bella interjected, Angela shrugged.

"We were at this abandoned house on the reservation" Bella's eyes widened but Angela didn't notice and continued. "Anyway after I sort of banged it out of my system for like two days I counted my calendar days and realized I was ovulating"

"So?" Bella asked

"When you ovulate it's like the human equivalent to going into heat, our nipples get sore and darker, our lips get bigger and darker, our hair looks better, we sweat more to release natural pheromones and we get so anxious and horny we have the urge to hump a chair" She recited expertly "didn't happen as bad before but now that I'm with Embry it went into overdrive."

"I know how you feel" Bella groaned

"Why don't you use Jacob?" Angela asked

"Because it's his fault I'm like this" Bella muttered before speaking directly to Angela. "I don't want my hormones making my decisions for me"

"You look like you're two seconds from rubbing against the window sill like a cat" Angela observed, Bella asked to use the restroom and paced to through the door labeled girls. Bella splashed water on her face before she disappeared into a stall a second before her two favorite girls walked in, Lauren and her evil side kick Jessica.

"Did you see the guys panting over Bella at lunch?" Lauren asked brushing her platinum blond hair, Jessica nodded.

"She thinks she's hot shit just because she's going out with Jacob Black" Jessica scoffed and Bella rolled her eyes, really, they had nothing else to do but talk about her?

"He's way too hot for her, probably doing some charity work or something" Really, five months of charity work?

"Maybe I'll give him a look at what he could have at the festival on Saturday" Bella's eyes narrowed and Jessica gasped.

"In front of Bella?" Even she was shocked at Lauren's plan.

"Of course, put Frankenstein back in her place." Bella heard a a crack and the girls jumping by the time she walked out of the stall they were gone and Bella saw the mirror had broken. She when headed back to art Bella pulled out the Energy Magic book from her pack back and opened the chapter on Power's of Persuasion.

_The method of transferring energy to persuade another person is through touch. Let them feel the warmth and comfort from your body using the empathetic energy from chapter four. Look them in the eyes and focus on what you want them to do. If the magic is strong enough your target will do your will._

Oh, Bella could think of a millions things she'd like Lauren to do. Jump off of a cliff, put on a meat bikini and walk into the ocean, let her roots grow in so everyone could see her natural color. Bella wanted to do something mean but couldn't really bring herself to knowing that the only problem Lauren had with her was her relationship with Jacob. After class, Bella walked up to Lauren and touched her shoulder gently.

"Lauren, you should go to the spring festival with someone." Bella advised looking into Lauren green eyes. "It's such a lovely thing and maybe you should go with Tyler."

For the first time in months, Lauren smiled her "Maybe I will, I've had a crush on him since seventh grade" she admitted, Bella secretly did a little 'It Worked!' dance in her mind.

"That's good, maybe he'll ask you" She said and removed her hand. "See you later"

Bella walked away with a smile and was happy to feel the breeze hit her skin as she walked out to the parking lot. Luckily, finding Tyler was easy since he parked right beside her. Bella liked Tyler's van, it was very hippie in looks and in the constant way it smelled like weed.

"Tyler" Bella greeted and touched his forearm lightly, Tyler perked up right away.

"Hey Bella" he replied

"You should ask Lauren to go to the spring festival" she said looking into his eyes with a smile. "It'll be fun, food, games, a Ferris wheel provided the weather permits it."

"That's a good idea, I had a crush on Lauren until you showed up so since you obviously aren't interested so I should ask her." Okay, the whole persuasive energy has some fall back but whatever.

"Good, ask her soon." Bella then bid him goodbye and hoped in her truck, she went home and went directly into the kitchen to pull a steak from the freezer for Charlie. She sat it on the counter to defrost before she went upstairs to change into a pair of work out shorts and a yoga tank top. Before she left the house, Bella put on a pair of her running shoes, her hoodie, and grabbed her keys before she bolted from the house. She felt achy in all her joints and needed to stretch before she began running on the trail behind her house. She had her necklace on which masked her scent from any vampires in the area but that was honestly the last thing on her mind. Bella had run about half a mile when she realized she wanted her camera and went back. She marched up the stairs to her room and grabbed her camera before she was over come by a sense of dread. Thinking quickly she hid under her bed and watched as a pair of pale feet entered her room. It was a vampire, female, and she carried an aura of death around her.

"Come out, now." she ordered but Bella knew she couldn't sense her.

"Fine" the vamp said "I'll just kill your father when he walks through the door" Bella tensed, and moved out from under the bed to stand in front of her. She was pretty, long black hair and pale skin that contrasted with her blood red eyes.

"Nice to finally meet you Bella" she greeted with a sick smile, then noticed the necklace "Belladonna, I see the Cullen's have told you a few things"

"What do you want?" Bella asked, keeping the bed between them as if that would help.

"For you to take a walk." Bella scoffed.

"You must be insane. Oh wait you are." the vampire glared at her.

"If you don't think I'll kill your dad in front of you, you're very mistaken." With crossed arm's Bella followed the vampire out of her house and into the woods behind her house, expecting at any time her to reach around and rip Bella's neck open.

"What do you want?" Bella asked when they stopped in a small clearing or spruces and pine tree's.

"Ever since you obviously figured out my pattern, those mangy cur's are getting rather difficult so I'm offering you an trade" The vamp sneered. "You come with me and I don't kill anyone else, hell, i'll even kill that moronic ex of yours"

"But you made him" Bella questioned.

"He was convenient, but if you take the deal he's useless to me." She responded.

"Why me?" Bella asked, the vamp stiffened.

"Because of what you are" She spat.

"And that is?" Bella asked again.

"Something that should have been wiped from existence centuries ago, something that could destroy us" Bella raised a brow.

"Us?" She questioned then realized. "you mean vampires?"

"Yes."

"I have no interest in killing any vampires but you and Dax," Bella insisted, the vamp smiled again.

"I think you've forgotten who you are and what I am."

"And I think you've forgotten that when your on wolf territory, it's easier for them to sneak up on you." The vamp paled (if possible) and turned her head just in time for Sam to wrapped his large wolf jaws around her body and hold her in place. Bella backed away and covered her eyes as the rest of the pack ripped the vampire to pieces. It must have been the vamp's last high pitch scream that sent Bella behind a tree to vomit. She didn't come out until Jacob, in wolf form, nudged her with his massive head. She walked back down the trail to her house and met up with Charlie holding his rifle.

"Heard a scream, you alright?" He asked with a worried expression on his face.

"Yea." Bella answered a bit shaky. "Saw a bear."

"Hell Bella" Charlie said lowering the gun. "You ain't supposed to scream when you see a bear, you're supposed to remain still and silent especially now that they're just waking up and mating."

Yea, _that's_ what she wanted to talk about, the mating habits of brown bears.

"I know, it's just startled me too much to think clearly." Charlie looked at his daughter as if remembering she grew up in Phoenix and not Forks.

"You get back to the house, I have to radio in the bear sighting this close to houses." He told her, Bella nodded and paced back home.

Charlie walked back in the house just as Bella was putting his steak under the broiler. He asked her what she was having for dinner and she told him just some soup because she had a big lunch, which was a lie but Bella's stomach still hadn't settled from before. It was actually the first time Bella had felt nauseous in months and not have it linked to power her powers. That thought made her think why hadn't she used her little beam of light to blow the vampire away? She knew she should have and could have, but something stopped her. It could have been the fact that if the pack hadn't shown up that vamp would have known about Bella's gift. She and Charlie talked about the normal things while he ate and she sipped her tea. He asked how school was going, fine. He asked what she was doing in the Spring Festival, face painting. After he finished they sat in front of the television trying to beat each other at Jeopardy. Charlie won the first round and Bella won the second, they both flaked on the final question. Bella looked at Charlie a few good times and realized people may have been wrong and that she resembled her father instead of her mother. The physical resemblance they shared picked at Bella's conscience as she remembered, yet again, all the secrets she was keeping from the man who dubbed an entire wall in the living room as 'Bella's Wall.'

"Dad," She started, "did anything weird happen around me when I was younger?"

"Weird?" Charlie asked with a furrowed brow.

Bella nodded, "Yes, like something strange you noticed." Charlie thought a moment and took a drink of his beer.

"Well, you were quicker to learn walking and talking then most babies. Your mom damn near lost all her baby weight chasing you around house," He chuckled at the memory. "You never liked the dark, which wasn't weird for a baby I guess, so we used my old lava lamp until we found out you basically stayed up all night staring at it and you mom went out and spent a butt load of money on this machine that turned the ceiling into the night sky with stars and such. Hell, that thing may still be in the basement. You also always managed to get out of your crib, even before you could walk. Heard you talking to yourself over the baby monitor, Renee and Billy said you were talking to your guardian angel or something. When you started walking and talking you and Jake always managed to find fairy rings everywhere."

"Fairy rings?" Bella interjected, Charlie sighed.

"It's when mushrooms grow in a circle, also around that time you got to be quite sneak." He told her.

"How do?" Bella asked with a cocked head.

Charlie smiled, "I'd be ready to go to work and my keys would go missing from the key holder. I'd be looking everywhere for them and you'd just be watching and giggling at my until I found them in your room." His smiled waned a bit, "Then your mom and you left and the summers you showed up nothing really happened."

"Am I welsh, dad?" Bella asked after a moment of silence, Charlie shrugged.

"Not on my side, far as I know your mom's Irish but you should ask her. Better yet ask your grandma Liv, she'll know."

Later that evening, Bella put aside her finished homework and picked her her vibrating cellphone.

"You okay?" It was Jacob and Bella sighed with relief.

"I guess, considering I saw someone ripped to pieces in front of me." She shivered at the memory, Jacob sighed.

"I'm sorry you had to see that, want me to come over?" He offered, "or you can come over to La Push we're having a little party."

"First kill celebration?" She asked sarcastically with a small smile.

Jacob laughed, "Basically yea, you wanna join us?"

Yes, desperately. "No I better not, I have a lot of homework to finish."

"Okay," He replied. "see you Saturday then?"

"Yea, see you then," She answered. "Bye." and hung up.

Lounging in her desk chair, Bella opened the book titled 'Welsh Mythology' and red until her exhaustion wouldn't let her.

**Authors Note: I started this chapter mainly to show Bella in 'heat' but half way through I was like 'I want to kill a vampire.'**


	18. Chapter 18: Spring Festival

Disclaimer: I do Not own Twilight.

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"I don't get it how are you mad at me again?" Jacob asked helplessly as Bella set up her fact painting stand on the Fork's High lacrosse field. No weird vibes or weird looking people as of yet, luckily Fork's was blessed with another sunny day which would make spotting someone with glittering skin and that fact made Bella smile. Well, that, and getting revenge on Jacob.

"I mean," He continued. "I paid my toll for lying to you, I met those awful leeches and killed a vampire to save your life."

"And as a would be victim of a vampire I'm grateful and not mad but as a girlfriend-type-buddy I am mad." She told him simple, Jacob raised a dark brow at her.

"Girlfriend-type-buddy?" He echoed and Bella threw her hands up.

"I don't know if we are officially dating seeing as you never asked me on a date and all we've done so far is roll around on a mattress, which brings me back to being mad at you." She scowled.

"Okay, what are you mad at as my girlfriend-type-buddy?" He asked.

"You were going to screw me on a mattress that was already defiled by Embry and Angela!" She snapped at him, Jacob turned a bit green and watched her set up her paints.

"What if I told I flipped the mattress over after I knew they used it?" Bella thought a moment.

"If you told me that I would most likely stab you in the eyes with this paint brush." She told him while holding up a thin brush.

"Okay," Jacob stated with a grimace. "So my punishment is running the cotton candy machine? Isn't that a little extreme?"

"Not if you ever want to touch me again it isn't." Bella informed him, Jacob sneered a bit.

"Fine," He moved to head across the field to the machine but Bella put a hand on his chest to stop him.

"That's only half the punishment," She told him and pulled a piece of silky fabric from her back pocket and but it in his hand.

"What's that?" He asked and Bella smirked mischievously.

"My underwear." She answered and heat flared in Jacob's eyes, "Now you'll have to think about that all day."

"You're a cruel woman Bella Swan." He groaned and walked over to the cotton candy machine. Bella had just finished setting up when she got a text.

**Did you pull the underwear move?**

**From: Angela**

Bella looked across the field to her friend behind the seed planting station and winked at her.

**To: Angela**

**Yep, worked like a charm. You're an evil genius.**

**I know**

**From: Angela**

The festival was going off without any supernatural hitches but Bella noted where the pack was prowling along the edges of the schools soccer field were the activities were taking place. Paper flowers, food, drinks, face painting, potting stations and other spring time activities.

"Lovely turn out." Bella turned to see Joesph Redwolf, an elder council member of the Quiluetes, walking up to her table.

"Thank you." She said with a kind smile then offered a seat to him which he took happily.

"Haven't had such a good festival since the last one your grandmother organized." Joesph continued, Bella threw him a suspicious gaze.

"My grandmother?" Joesph nodded.

"Olivia, it's good to know you inherited her event planning skills." He complimented.

"You know my grandma Liv?" Bella asked, Joesph nodded.

"Back in the sixties she preferred to be called Olive, she was a bit of a free spirit which was why she got along with people at the reservation so easily," He explained with a nostalgic gleam in his eye. "She and I were the first to start the spring festival and since she moved away it hasn't had the same energy until now."

"Oh" Bella wanted to question him more about her free spirited grandmother Olive who was now the cold, stuffy Olivia but she was bombarded by a five year old who wanted to look like a lion. Bella had just finished painting a little girl into a frog when Leah and Emily walked up to her stand. Bella was happy to see them smiling together and spoke to them a while, Emily had made ice cream sandwiches with homemade cookie and brought a few to the festival with Leah's help. Rachel and Paul came by and Rachel complimented Bella on getting Jacob to volunteer at the festival. Near sun set the lights went up on the field and Bella saw Charlie and Billy trying to best each other at a shooting game and laughed at intense looks on their faces. Most of the younger kids had gone home so Bella was packing up her paints and materials when Jacob approached her looking exhausted.

"Fancy a spin?" He asked gesturing to the Ferris wheel.

"Are you done with the cotton candy?" She asked crossing her arms, Jacob pointed across the field.

"I paid Seth twenty bucks to take it over for me," He told her, Bella laughed and thought about it for a moment before nodding.

"Fine." She accepted and took his hand to let him lead her to the tall, colorful ride. Jacob took up most of the little seat and pulled her under his arm.

"Our dads are looking up at us with goofy smiles." He whispered in her ear even though no one could hear them.

"I noticed." Bella replied and Jacob held her close to him.

"Am I forgiven moonbeam?" He asked with a hopeful smile, Bella shrugged.

"Did you learn your lesson?" She asked.

"Handing out cotton candy while having your panties in my pocket and knowing you're on the last day of your ovulation and sensing that everywhere I am?" He groaned again and shifted to (she guessed) alleviate pressure on his groin.

"Yea, you're forgiven." She answered with a laugh and kissed him softly on the lips. "But I'm not having sex with you tonight."

Jacob groaned then sighed in defeat. "I respect that, I don't want our first time happening because our hormones were going haywire." Bella smiled and snuggled closer to him as they viewed Forks from the top of the wheel. They were still linked together when her phone signaled a text.

**Have to show you something. **

**Meet me behind the field house.**

**From: Angela**

"I'll be right back," Bella told Jacob and kissed him lightly on the cheek. She moved at a steady pace towards the field house, thinking her friend wanted to show her some naked photo of Embry she sneaked while he was sleeping but then said werewolf stopped in front of her.

"Have you seen Angela?" He asked with a worried look on his face, Bella paused.

"She just texted me to meet her behind the field house." Bella told him, Embry looked a little more worried when he Angela's cell phone from his back pocket. Bella and Embry ran behind the field house and didn't see Angela.

"There was a vampire here," Embry stated. "and Angela was here too." He shifted form and took off into the woods, Bella followed him as quickly as she could. Coming to a clearing, she saw a naked Embry leaning over Angela's thrashing body and when she ran up to them Bella saw the angry looking bite on Angela's arm.

"No!" Bella screamed and Embry looked close to tears as he helplessly held his girlfriend in his arms.

"There has to be something you can do!" Embry asked, Bella was crying as she thought and looked as the rest of the pack surrounded them.

"W-what's happening?" Angela cried out, Bella winced as the pain in her friends voice.

"Come on!" Embry ordered, "You can't be turned into a vampire for a reason, help her!" He ordered. Bella had to think quickly and dug into Angela's pockets for her keys. She found them and located the pocket knife key chain and opened it. Taking a deep breath Bella slashed the small knife across her palm until blood came and pressed her hand to Angela's arm. Her hand felt warm again and a Bella saw a small light come between Angela's arm and her palm. Angela finally stopped thrashing and passed out before Bella removed her hand to see Angela's arm didn't even had a mark on it.

"Take Angela to her house," Sam ordered, "and stay with her until she wakes up."

"Her parents out in Tacoma for a few days, you carry her back and I'll get her car." Bella told Embry who nodded and lifted the limp girl into his strong arms.

* * *

><p>"Thank you Bella." Embry said as they both sat in Angela's large room watching her sleep, him wearing an outfit he had stashed in her drawers. Bella had wrapped her slashed hand loosely in gauze and was sitting in own of Angela's fancy chairs while Embry was on the bed with his arm's around Angela. Angela's parents were pharmaceutical representatives and constantly had to go out of town constantly but Bella knew they loved Angela dearly. Her room was the houses modified attic that even had a balcony because Angela's favorite story was Romeo and Juliet.<p>

"It was my fault." Bella answered him, Embry shook his head.

"You don't know it was Dax." He told her, Bella gave him a pointed stare.

"It was him, that's why it was Angela." She said, Embry didn't answer and she moved to Angela's desk drawer to pull out a small pack or candy cigarettes.

"I thought you quit?" Embry asked, Bella held up the label for him to see.

"They're candy," She told him with a small smile. "Angela started giving them to me when I quit smoking to help with oral compensation."

"Sounds like her." Embry said looking down at his frail girlfriend. After another hour of sitting and munching on the numerous snacks Angela's kept in her room, Bella went downstairs to lean against the large couch in the living room. Okay, Dax bit Angela so punish Bella who healed Angela with her blood and another gift she still didn't know she had. Given that Angela was wearing the belladonna necklace if meant he was watching the fair without even the wolf pack knowing about it. Bad side, Bella was seriously rethinking her whole 'stay and fight' plan. Good side, Dax didn't know Angela was alive or what Bella could do. The other vampire didn't say she wanted to kill Bella, just wanted Bella to come with her someone unknown. And what the hell did she mean by saying Bella will destroy the vampires? Calling her a _'something that should have been wiped out centuries ago'_. She hadn't realized she had fallen asleep until Embry shook her awake and she saw the sun streaming in through the large bay windows.

"Angela's awake and wants to talk to you." He said with a grimace, Bella looked at his face closely.

"What did she say to you?" She asked a little hesitantly, Embry looked a little unsure how to answer.

"Well, she yelled at me for lying to her, yelled at me for making _you_ lie to her, yelled at me for making her apparently so distracted with sex she didn't realize I was a werewolf, then we had sex and she ordered me to go buy you and her some breakfast." Bella actually laughed.

"That sounds like Angela," She observed "and i would like some pancakes."

"You're lucky you saved my mates life." He growled before he walked out of the house with Angela's car keys. Bella walked up the stairs and into Angela's room to see her exiting her bathroom in a towel.

"Bella!" She cried and hugged her fiercely. "Thank you for saving my life!"

"Anytime." Bella coughed out and pulled back to look at her friend. "You're not mad at me or something?"

"Well I was a bit made at the fact you didn't tell me about your special gifts but since you're still trying to find out what you are exactly I can't blame you, and I wouldn't expect you to tell me about Embry and the other guys since it wasn't your secret to tell." Bella would kiss her friend if she wasn't a little sure Angela would try to talk her into a threesome. They stayed in her room until Embry came back with their breakfast, most likely a to-go meal from the Forks Diner. Bella watched the tension rise between Angela and Embry for a half hour before she called Jacob to bring her truck to Angela's. Bella wondered what medication her friend must be on to zig zag from finding out your boyfriends a werewolf, find out your best friends a...something, and managing to talk about themes for prom in less than an hour. After she greeted Jacob with a kiss she drove him back to La Push and then went home. Charlie was awake and asked her where she had been, Bella told him she spent the night at Angela's house which wasn't a lie. He accepted that and told her next time she was planning on doing that to call him.

_'Okay'_ Bella thought stepping out of the shower. _'Angela knows so she'll be a little out of danger, Dax thinks she's dead and will most likely retreat to let me grieve'_

Bella sat a candle in front of her and opened her Energy Magic to the chapter titled Fire Magic. She had a lot of work to do.

**Authors Note: Thanks for the reviews and keep them coming, good or bad.**


	19. Chapter 19: Normal Day

Disclaimer: I do not own Twilight.

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Three weeks, three weeks of no killings, encounters, or even feelings Dax or any unwelcome vampires were around. Between finishing the plans for prom with Angela, starting helping Emily with her wedding plans, insisting to everyone who asked that everything was okay, and often the suspicious looks of the pack, Bella was often too drained to practice her gift but she managed to make time. Since Angela had survived being bitten by Dax, Paul had imprinted on Rachel Black (much to the displeasure of Jacob). Quil had imprinted on Emily's young niece Claire and Jacob had to explain to Bella that while Claire was young Quil would act more like a big brother or protector towards her and not a lover. Angela and Emily had become the best of friends which benefited them both, Angela learned to cook from Emily and Emily got a yoga partner. Bella actually talked to her technologically impaired mother via web cast and made plans to visit her in Florida over the summer. As far as her 'gifts' went, Bella had mastered lighting and snuffing out candles, was working well on her persuasive techniques and was getting better at energy healing. She was getting a little better at her beams of light...a skill she often practiced on Jarred. When it came to finding out what Bella was exactly, everyone had theories but nothing really panned out. Even Lydia was unsure, well, she said she was unsure.

"So Bella," Bella opened her sun glass covered eyes to look over at Billy. Currently, Bella, Jacob, Charlie, and Billy were out on the water in Charlie boat fishing. Well, the guys were fishing while Bella was lounging in the drivers seat soaking up the sun.

"Yea?" She asked.

"What are your plans for the summer?"

"Well, I've already gotten a job at the day camp and I'm going to visit my mom in Jacksonville but other than that I'm just playing the summer by ear." She told him, Billy smiled.

"That's the best way to have a summer." He told her, then brought his attention to his fishing rod that suddenly moved. Bella snapped a few photos of them all when they were looking, enjoying the focused looks on their faces. She always preferred to take photo's of people when they weren't looking rather then them being posed and unnatural looking. Bella focused on the book in her lap until Jacob walked up to her and handed her a strawberry soda he remember to store in the cooler.

"Have I told you how hot you look in shorts?" He whispered in her ear before sitting in the passenger seat.

"Have you forgotten that even when you whisper, in this boat both of our fathers can hear you?" She reminded him causing Billy and Charlie to laugh.

"Does this constitute a date?" Jacob asked, Bella scoffed and took a sip of the refreshing soda.

"If we were Amish maybe but seeing as we're not, I'd say no." She informed him, Jacob laughed and leaned in to kiss her cheek. This was the Jacob Bella liked. The warm, charmingly, smiling, happy-go-lucky Jacob. One that wasn't worried about vampires or pack law, the Jacob that was all hers.

"So Jacob," Charlie injected the moment and caused Billy to smile. "What are you planning to do this summer?"

"Work, hang out with friends, take Bella out on actual dates."

Jacob shocked Bella with his honestly, but that honesty pleased Charlie. Jacob returned to his fishing rob and all was silent for a couple more hours, not counting the exclamations of joy when someone caught a fish, until Charlie commented on Bella getting sunburned. He let Bella drive the boat back to the docks and they drove to Billy and Jacobs house to eat the fish. While Billy talked to Charlie by the charcoal grill Billy owned, Bella was leaning against Jacob on one of the handmade yard chairs with his arms wrapped around her.

"You seem very confident of yourself today." She commented while watching the pink sunset, Jacob chuckled behind her.

"I think it's time I made it clear to you and everyone what my intentions toward you are." He told her and shifted them both to pull something out of his pocket. When they returned to their original position, Jacob held a braided charm bracelet in front of her eyes.

"It's beautiful." She said breathlessly, Jacob fastened it around her left wrist.

"Just like you." He told her, his lips brushing against her ear.

"Looks like the one Embry gave to Angela." She observed while fingering the stones and shells gently, laughing at the little carved wolf.

"It's a Quiluete thing, you give a bracelet to your girl." He informed her.

"So it's the Quiluete equivalent to a Letterman jacket?" She joked and Jacob laughed before responding.

"It's better because tradition dictates they guy has to make the bracelet himself." At that Bella actually turned to stare at him.

"You made this?" She asked shocked, Jacob looked sheepish.

"Yea, handpicked each shell and stone, look." He pulled her back against his hard chest and lifted her wrist."Amethyst for intuition and healing, turquoise for friendship, onyx for protection, moonstone for love, and I think the wolf it self explanatory." He finished with smile.

"Is that my spirit animal?" She asked, Jacob shook his head.

"You're thinking about your totem animal and probably not. Your totem animal is the animal you connect with and channel, your spiritual guardian is the wolf though."

"How do you know?" She asked and shivered a bit causing him to wrap his arms around her even tighter.

"The wind told me." He said softly into her ear before kissing her cheek and the two settle into silence. The wind told him? Was that a wolf thing or just a Jacob thing? She decided to let the subject go as she relax against him. After feeling her shiver for the tenth time, Jacob had gone into his house to grab one of his many (now unnecessary) hoodies when their dad's announced the food was ready. The four of them ate outside on the Black's picnic table. The freshly caught fish and grilled vegetables were delicious and after dessert, an angel food cake Bella had made earlier, everyone relax with their full stomachs. Jacob and Bella had resumed their position on the lounge chair looking up at the starry sky in silence. It was such a normal, relaxing day. No wolf pack drama, no school issues, none of her 'gifts' malfunctioning, just an average day. How she wished each day was like this. Bella was so at ease that she hadn't realized she had fallen asleep until she had awoken being carried in Jacob's strong arms.

"I'm awake." She insisted, Jacob chuckled.

"Barely," He commented. "Exhausted moonbeam?"

"Why do you call me that?" Bella finally asked after months of the endearment.

"You don't remember?" He asked, not putting her down as they walked to Charlies police car.

"What?" Bella asked, Jacob closed his eyes as if he saw the memory in his brain. Before he answered her, Jacob sat Bella on the trunk of Charlies squad car.

"It was the last summer you spent here," He started. "It was the day after my thirteenth birthday and you called me house and basically ordered me to come to Charlies. I wanted to hang out with with the guys but you used your pouty voice so I came over. I missed a day of dirt bikes with my friends to watch You Were Never Lovelier on turner classic movies."

"OH!" Bella interjected. "With Rita Hayworth and Fred Astaire."

"Yes, I got your nickname from a song in the movie." He finished. Bella pursed her lips as a mischievous thought entered her mind.

"What song?" She asked.

"The one titled 'You Were Never Lovelier'." He answered.

"I don't remember." She told him, Jacob glared at her softly.

"Yes you do." He dead panned, obviously picking up on her angle.

Bella shook her head innocently. "No I don't," She insisted. "Sing it to me?"

"No." He told her her sternly, Bella pouted.

"Please?" Jacob closed his eyes as if he were in pain before he looked around to make sure they were alone.

"I was never able to recite a fable that would make the party bright," He said softly, obviously embarrassed. "Sitting at the table I was never able to become the hosts delight, but now you've given me my after dinner story, I'll just describe you as you are in all your glory. You were never lovelier, you were never so fair, dreams were never lovelier, pardon me if I stare. Down the sky the moonbeams fly to light your face, I can only say they choose the proper place. You were never lovelier and to coin a new phrase, I was never luckier in my palmiest days. Make a note and you can quote me, honor bright. You were never lovelier than you are tonight."

By the time he finished, Bella's smile was so wide she was sure all her teeth were showing.

"Now," Jacob started with a small smile. "Can I have a kiss for my troubles?"

She nodded, the smile not leaving her face. Jacob curled his fingers around the nape of her neck and tipped her face up to his as he brought his mouth down on hers. He tried to make it a gentle kiss but quit trying when she opened her mouth to allow his tongue to slid in between her lips. The kiss became more raw, more passionate as the world around them tumbled away. Jacob stood between her legs and Bella felt his erection against her core as he feasted on her mouth hungrily. Jacob pulled away first and leaned his forehead against hers.

"Charlie's coming," He ground out. "let's get you in the car."

He stood back only enough so that she speechlessly slid down his body. Jacob was obviously unashamed by his reaction towards her and led her to the passenger side of the car. She waved a quick goodbye to Billy before getting in the car. Jacob kissed her forehead lightly before saying goodbye to Charlie and watching them drive off.

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><p>It wasn't until after Bella had showered and gotten ready for bed that the fear and doubt entered her mind. Fingering the charm bracelet she wondered the true meaning behind it. Angela's had gotten hers after a series of romps with Embry and told Bella what Jacob told her, that is was a present guys gave to their girls. Jacob had obviously given it much thought too, amethyst for healing, onyx for protection, <em>moonstone for love<em>. Bella actually jumped when her cell phone rang.

"You're playing with the bracelet aren't you?" Came Jacob's self assured voice, Bella smiled a bit.

"That depends, are you currently watching me in anyway?" She asked.

"No." He replied.

"Then no I'm not playing with it." She told him, Jacob laughed a bit. "Hey, that whole 'the wind told you' thing, is that a werewolf thing?"

"Not really, anyone can learn it with enough time but very few people on the reservation even know it. My dad learned from his uncle, Joesph Redwolf, and I learned from him, I could teach you if you want." He told her.

"What does it mean entirely?" She asked leaning back on her bed.

"Hm, it's more something you'd have to experience," Jacob told her. "You're thinking about the moonstone aren't you?"

Bella paused. "Why would I be touching that?"

"Because of the meaning." She held her breath until Jacob spoke again. "Moonstone means love, Bella, I know what that implies."

"I don't think you do." Bella told him simply.

"It implies that I love you, because I do." Jacob said simply, as if it was the easiest thing in the world.

"What?" Bella questioned, too shocked to say anything articulate.

"I love you." This time the words were spoken with more emotion, more truth...and Bella freaked.

"I have to go, goodnight"

**Authors Note: Just a normal day between a werewolf, a girl of an undisclosed species, and their human fathers.**


	20. Chapter 20: Prom

Disclaimer: I do not own Twilight.

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"You hung up on him!" Angela exclaimed in the small dress store. It was the Wednesday before prom, Bella and Angela (along with half the junior student body) had decided to leave school after lunch and head to Port Angeles to go shopping. Bella had managed to avoid Jacob since his Sunday love confession by hanging out in town and at the library but she knew she couldn't hide forever,

"I think we've established that." Bella dead panned, Angela was still looking at her like she was insane.

"He gives you a bracelet, sings to you, tells you he loves you and you hang up on him?" Her friend asked again.

"Yep." Bella replied simply looking at a dress, Angela snapped her finger which was apparently meant to return Bella's attention.

"What is the big deal? Don't you love him?"

"What do you think of ivory?" Bella asked holding up a dress, Angela took it from her and put it back on the rack.

"I think with your pale skin, any brand of white will make you look like a banshee now answer my question." She demanded.

"Did you hang the wreath I made you?" Bella asked. During her many hours avoiding Jacob Bella had discovered that a wreath made of lemon grass, meadow sweet, and bay leaves apparently kept vampires from entering your home. They (luckily) haven't had need to use them yet but better safe then sorry and hoping a string of garlic will work.

"Yes, and stop deflecting." Angela scolded

"Fine." Bella snapped and turned to her, "One, he said it over the phone which is worth about one milligram more than if he texted it to me and two, my feelings towards him are irrelevant before he's the one who said it first."

"Which is a bloody miracle seeing as guys never say it. This is just the post I-love-you freak out, and by saying _he's the one who said it first_ it meant you wanted to say it, don't go and old Bella this up." Angela said sternly, Bella raised a brow.

"Old Bella? So no only are you using my name as a verb you also stamped a timeline on me." She asked, Angela nodded.

"Yes, old Bella is you before you started going out with Jacob. The Bella who barely came out of her house or spoke to anyone, the new Bella is much more socially, physically, and emotionally healthy." Angela explained, Bella grabbed the dresses she choose to try on.

"And which Bella caused all of this to happen?" She asked quietly. "Who's ex-boyfriend mere presence caused a group of guys, some of whom I didn't know, to change their lives forever."

She walked into the dressing room and being trying on the dresses.

"So the thing is you don't think he could love you." Angela realized from the dressing room next to hers.

"I'm not saying that." She was. "It's just that he doesn't have any logical reason to."

"Love isn't logical, and I'm not letting you screw this up." Angela proclaimed from the other side of the wall.

"This oughta be good." Bella muttered while dressing.

"So we have two times you can turn this around, prom and his birthday." Angela stated even though Bella was sure she had heard her.

"Bella?" Angela questioned, Bella looked at her dress covered self in the mirror before answering.

"What?"

"You _did_ tell Jacob about prom this Saturday didn't you?" Bella winced.

_No_ "Yea." She didn't bother to tell Jacob mostly due to the fact the only reason she was going was because she was going to take the year book pictures so Angela could dance. It wasn't as if she didn't want to go with Jacob, if he hadn't made his little confession the other evening she would have told him.

Love, what a commonly misinterpreted feeling. If you spoke to her for a long time about it you might think she didn't believe in it. She believed in love, above everything Bella believe in love. However, the so called love she sees around her was not the idea in her mind. Instead of love she saw passion, worship, friendship, but most of all she saw underlining fear. Fear of ending up alone Bella saw people who are willing to settle with being kind of in love instead of risking never the chance they would never find the over-the-top, butterflies in stomach, and smile-never-leaving-their-face kind of love.

They found and paid for their dresses, Angela went with a deep sapphire and Bella went with dark emerald. They put their dresses in Angela's car before they headed to the restaurant to eat diner. Bella called Charlie to tell him she was going to be home a little later and gave him instruction on how to reheat the casserole she left in the freezer. After failing to avoid conversation about Jacob or Angela's sex life, the two girls walked to Sacred Circle and saw Lydia seeping cups of tea.

"Hello girls." She greeted kindly and offered them the tea and freshly made lavender cookies.

"Lydia how do you know when someone is coming?" Angela asked with a kind smile, Lydia shrugged innocently.

"I just keep tea and cookies on hand all the time." She explained to them, Bella and Angela exchanged skeptical looks before Angela walked off to browse.

Bella turned back to Lydia with a hopeful look. "Anything new?" She asked.

"Possibly." Lydia answered. "What do you know about your family history?"

"What do you mean?" Bella asked.

"Where they come from and what not?"

"Oh." Bella thought a moment. "My dad's family were from Italy but came here from New York a little after the great depression and my mom's family did the same thing a little before the great depression but before new york they came from Ireland."

"Are you sure?" Lydia asked.

"Yea, my mom showed me the copy of the Ellis Island page with the family's name on it." Bella explained, Lydia hmmed and pulled out a book with with a page marker in one page. On that page was a picture of a yellow flower.

"Have you seen this around your house?" She asked, Bella nodded and Lydia hmmed again. "What's it mean?"

"It means I have more research to do."

The next morning before Bella went to school, she pocketed one of the yellow flowers Lydia showed her in the book. They had started growing shorting after her arrival, even through the chill. She hopped in her truck and drove to school and she all but ran to Mr. Hurans class.

"Bella?" He asked his student, knowing she didn't have his class until later. "Do you need something?"

"Sort of," She told him and pulled the flower from her pocket. "Can you tell me what this is?"

Mr. Hurans took the flower from her gently and inspected it with the love of a teacher and horticulturist. "Nothing I know from scratch, not local, where did you get this?"

"It was growing in my flower box." Actually, in her front yard but since he said it wasn't local she didn't want to give him cause to think she was lying. "Is it a weed?"

Mr. Hurans shook his head. "No it's definitely a flower." He told her, then smiled. "Tell you what, I'll do some reading and get back to you later."

"That sounds great thank you." Bella said and walked back out of the classroom. The morning went as usual, with Bella trying to keep her eyes focused on her school work while her mind went to a million other places. She actually wrote down each of her weird habits and actions like her being anemic, feeling sick when was inside a building with no windows for too long, her bursts of energy at dawn and dusk and her constant dreams about doors and paths in the woods. Why she felt at ease in Forks, but in Phoenix she either felt restless or drained. She put down which sodas made her sick and which made her feel fine, the fact that she liked whole milk or cream, that she didn't much like meat but she was okay with chicken sometimes. When Bella finished writing her list she realized how crazy she sounded to herself.

Maybe she was deflecting, doing a million different things to keep her mind off of Jacob. What was wrong with her? She had this great guy who was in love with her and she freaks out and ignores him. She was actually looking forward to visiting her mother in Florida. Another thing she had to avoid all day was Mike who wanted to ask Bella to prom so she stuck by Angela anytime she could. Out in the parking lot, Embry was waiting by Angela's car with a big goofy smile on his face. As Bella watched them together she felt the actual love she knew was so uncommon. Even if they hadn't said it to one another and even if they didn't know it, the pair loved each other. Feeling a bit jealous and not wanting to go directly home, Bella spent a few hours at the library before she stopped by the diner to get dinner for Charlie.

"Hello Bella." Joesph Redwolf said from his seat at the diner's bar, Bella smiled kindly at him.

"Hello Mr. Redwolf." She greeted back to him, Joesph took a sip of his iced tea.

"Please call me Joesph or Joe, Mr. Redwolf makes me feel old." He told her with smile. "Picking up some food?"

"Yea, my dad's working late so I'm bringing him something at the station." She explained.

"That's good of you, my daughters are too busy most of the time with my grumpy self." He joked, Bella laughed.

"I don't think you're grumpy, just bored." She stated, Joe nodded.

"You're grandmother says the same thing." Bella looked at him sharply.

"You still talk to my grandmother Liv?" She asked with a curious expression on her face and again he nodded.

"Yea, over the telephone and sometimes she comes to me or I come to her." Okay, put a bookmark in that subject and come back to it later.

"Jacob told me about the whole, speaking to the wind thing you can do."

"You mean the winds speaking to me." Joe corrected her softly, "I suppose you want to learn how to do it."

"How did you guess that?" She asked, Joe took another drink of his tea.

"You're grandmother was the same," He commented. "My young nephew is a good lad, and is very taken with you."

"I know." Bella said looking at her hands, "He shouldn't be."

"Why? Because of you think you don't deserve his love?" Joe asked kindly.

"How did you know that?" She asked shocked, Joe smiled.

"The wind also tells secrets." He said proudly. "You're a child of the earth and the earth, she protects those who seek her embrace."

Okay. "So I need to get more in tune with the earth."

Joe nodded but before they could continue their conversation Bella's order came up. As she walked to the station she thought of what Joe said at the diner. He said her grandmother Olivia wanted to know or knew how to hear the wind and that didn't make sense. Her grandmother Olivia Healey, married name Higginbotham, was a bit cold and very stuck up in Bella's opinion. She walked to the police station and knocked softly on her fathers office door. He looked frazzled and happy to see her, most likely he was more happy to see the food she carried. The talked a little between bites and Charle mentioned some kids have gone missing in Seattle and Tacoma. She walked on La Push beach until about eight, taking pictures and relishing the feeling of the cold, wet sand beneath her feet. She knew when she was on La Push or any Quiluete land Jacob could sense he presence and the fact he wasn't pushing her and was giving her space comforted her greatly. He called once a day, leaving a very Jacob-like message. _Anytime you want to talk, just call or come over_. Then he ended with the words that scared her the most _I love you._ How the hell did he love her? After everything that she caused to happen? She didn't know and definitely didn't want to find out.

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><p>"Whoa." Bella straightened up in front of her mirror and turned to see Charlie in her doorway. It was Saturday, prom night, and Bella had just finished getting ready. Her hair was in tight ringlets, she had a light dusting of dark green eyeshadow on her eyes along with eyeliner, and choose a colored lip balm instead of lipstick. Her shoes matched her dress and were very uncomfortable-which according to Angela meant that were fabulous.<p>

"I feel weird." Bella admitted to her father, who smiled warmly.

"Well you look beautiful and too damn grown up." He joked and picked up her camera, "Come on downstairs so I can get a picture of you and Jake before you head out."

What? "Jake?"

Charlie nodded, "Yea, he's waiting downstairs with Billy." He stated and walk back downstairs.

He was? Bella sucked in a breath and walked down the stairs to see Jacob, Billy, and Charlie siting in the living room. They all stood up up when she entered the room. Jacob looked so handsome, albeit uncomfortable, in his obviously tailor tuxedo. His dark eyes drunk in her appearance like water to a man dying of thirst and Charlie and Billy laughed when he gave appreciative sound. When he was slipping the corsage around her dainty wrist he leaned in her to ear.

"Avoiding me or not, did you really think I'd let you go to prom alone?" He whispered, Bella blushed.

"It's only junior prom and I would have figured you would like to avoid any situation that puts in you a tux." She told him, earning a small smile from him.

After a few posed photos, Bella got her camera back from Charlie and Jacob walked her to her dad's pick up truck. The ride up to the Olympic Lodge was thankfully silent and Bella stared out of the window. When they got to the lodge and Jacob opened the door for for and Bella snapped a few photo's the lighten up exterior. They crossed under a decorated archway and got their picture taken (which made Bella uncomfortable because she liked taking picture, not being in them). Jacob pocketed the photo stub and they walked inside to the dance. The convention room was decorated to the theme of Midnight in Paris. Fleur de lis's everywhere, the food tabled littered with pastries and macaroons, bottles of sparkling grape juice on each table, and a giant Eiffel Tower you could get your photo taken by. Jacob sat down at a table patiently while Bella snapped a few photo's of the students and scenery. She saw Lauren and Tyler dancing together happily and smile, Bella then laughed when she saw Jessica dancing eagerly around Mike who looked slightly bummed out. She tried to spend most of her time by the refreshment table or taking pictures and she was succeeding until Angela zeroed in on her.

"The refreshment table is for girls who don't have dates." She stated while dragging Bella back to the table where Jacob not sat with Embry.

"Why don't you two dance?" Angela suggested and when she sensed Bella's inevitable protest she dug her nails into Bella's arm.

"Do not Old Bella this up." Angela said sternly and took Bella's when Jacob stood up to lead her to the dance floor. Of course a slow song came on and Bella laced her fingers around Jacob's neck as his hands settled on her hips.

"What does Old Bella mean?" He asked with a curious look on his face, Bella gave a painful smile.

"It's a new verb, it means to act like I did before we started hanging out." She explained and Jacob nodded in understanding.

"Jumpy, paranoid, like a vi-" He cut himself off and Bella stopped dancing to look up at the guilty look on his face.

"Like a victim?" She questioned, Jacob shook his head.

"That's not what I said." He insisted.

"But it's what you were about to say." She told him with a betrayed look on her face.

"I'm just making small talk so we don't have to talk about the whole I love you thing." Wow, what a nicely delivered blow to the nuts.

"Can we not talk about that?" She all but pleaded.

"No, that is definitely one thing we can not not talk about." He told her sternly, after a few moments of silence Bella sighed and back away from him.

Give me a few minutes." She told him and ducked out of the room. Fifteen minutes later, Bella took another drag of the cigarette she got off of one of the lodge employees. God she hated menthol's and unfortunately it didn't do anything for her nerves like it did before. She was in the smoking area the employees used and hopefully Jacob wouldn't notice how long she had been gone for.

"Really?" Bella jumped up the bench she was sitting on and turned to Jacob staring at her with his arms crossed, dammit.

"You'd rather start your bad habit than talk to me?" He asked in his deep voice.

"Do I ever want to talk about things like that?" She asked while giving him a pointed look.

"About your feelings toward me? No, I'd say you keep those hidden like nuclear launch codes." He stated calmly.

"I stayed in this death trap of a town for you!" She snapped at him.

"And now you're avoiding what staying in this town meant for us!" He snapped back, Bella crossed her arms.

"And what does it mean, please all knowing Jacob, tell me!" She demanded sarcastically.

"It means a relationship, no secrets or hesitation. I thought we got over this bullshit paranoia."

"You mean you thought you fixed my bullshit paranoia!"

"What the hell does that mean?" He demanded.

"Perfect, patient Jacob Black fixed broken little Bella Swan. How proud people are because you made be 'better'" Oh god she used air quotes, what the hell was wrong with her?

"Oh! I'm sorry that by being with me you are talking to people without stuttering, that your eating, that you have people you can call friends and that you can sleep through the damn night without waking up screaming in a cold sweat. I'm so sorry!" Talk about sarcasm but Bella was mad too.

"You made me 'better' for my benefit or did you just turn me into someone you could love? I was already in a relationship like that!" Low blow on her part but she just wanted to win the argument.

"Do not compare me to him!"

"Oh well! I didn't need him to make me happy and I don't need you either! Not you, not this town, and not this damned bracelet!" She snapped and threw the bracelet at him. "Do me one last favor Jacob and go to hell!"

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><p>Jacob slammed his door shut with enough force to break it. He had driven Bella home in complete silence and he could feel the anger radiating off of her just as she felt his anger. He wanted to smash something, break something. He wanted to shake her until her teeth rattled and she admitted to loving him like he knew she did. He actually contemplating going back to her until he saw his father sitting in the dark at the kitchen table and sensed something was wrong.<p>

"What is it?" Jacob asked, Billy sighed sadly.

"Harry Clearwater had a heart attack." His father dead panned, "He's dead."

**Authors Note: It was just a regular heart attack, not brought on by a vampire or outside source.**


	21. Chapter 21: A Funeral and Death

Disclaimer: I do not own Twilight.

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Bella skipped the last day of school to attend Harry Clearwater's funeral with her father. Nearly the whole reservation attended and Bella focused on Sue, Leah, and Seth. Leah and Seth were either crying or close to tears while Sue simply stared at nothing with a dazed look on her face. The wolf pack was there, Billy sat near Sue and Billy in the front while Bella sat with most of the other younger people in the back. The service was beautiful and over seen by Joesph Redwolf who spoke of Harry fondly. The wake was silent, Bella sat in the Clearwaters living room not talking or eating. She never got the tradition of bringing food to the family of a lost one. Seriously, 'I'm sorry for your lose here's a tuna noodle casserole for your grief.' She guessed she did it so the family wouldn't have to cook for a while but Bella was a bit of the opposite when it came to death and dealing with it. She made herself busy with trivial things to avoid being alone with her thoughts or worse, people who 'understood what she was going through'. She looked at Leah and Seth wondering how she would act if Charlie or Renee died but couldn't think of it because she never went through it. When Seth stormed into his room Bella felt the wave of helpless sadness that followed him but no one went after him because they all probably thought he needed time alone but Bella doubted it. She debated getting Jacob, knowing Seth looked up to him like an older brother but couldn't find him anywhere.

"Hey." She greeted softly as she entered his room, Seth was laying face down in his bed.

"Guess it's pretty pointless to ask if you're okay." She continued, sitting on the end of his bed.

"He knew he should have been eating better," Seth snapped, "and he didn't care!"

"Yea he did." Bella told him gently, Seth shook his head fiercely.

"No he didn't! He was selfish, not caring what would happen to any of us when he died!" He shouted, Bella didn't wince and touched his shoulder gently.

"Are you really mad at him?" She asked softly, Seth shook as he sobbed.

"Yes! And I hate that I'm mad at him, I hate that I hate him!" He sat up and leaned his head in her lap and despite his recent growth spurt Bella saw him at the young boy he really was.

"It's okay to hate him for leaving you." She told him honestly and simply held him while he cried. She hadn't realize he had fallen into a light sleep until Sue walked in the room and he didn't move.

"How is he?" She asked, Bella nodded and Sue sat in the small chair in Seth's room. Sue Clearwater looked much younger than she was. Bella knew she in her later thirties like her father and she looked more in her later twenties if that.

"Mad, sad, all the usual emotions I guess." Bella said smiled warmly at Sue. "How are you?"

"I'm not sure." Sue admitted, "I guess part of me is still expecting him to walk through the front door, look at all the people and say 'What's with all the black?'" She joked sadly, Bella leaned over to touch her arm.

"I would love to tell you I know what you're going through and that it'll get better, but I don't know what your going through and it most likely won't get better but it'll get easier." Bella was obviously channeling the numerous doctors she remembered from her time in the Seattle hospital.

"Thank you." Sue said and both of them looked up when Leah entered the room. Bella gently rose up from the bed, careful not to wake Seth and hugged Leah tightly before she gave the family time to themselves. She just closed the bedroom door behind her when Jacob approached her.

"Can we talk?" He asked gently, looking worn and sad.

"Now?" She asked giving him a pointed look and s if remembering where they were and why they were here Jacob nodded.

"Tomorrow?" He asked hopefully, Bella shook her head.

"I can't I have to go see Lydia, she called and told me she found something out about me." She told him.

"Friday?" He asked, Bella shrugged.

"I'll be heading to the day camp a while for a meeting and I'll be busy packing the rest of the day." Jacob tensed immediately.

"Packing?" He sounded honestly scared, Bella sighed.

"To visit my mom," She explained. "I told you that next week was the only time off I had before my job started."

He relaxed and nodded at he remembered her plans and Bella noticed he was clenching something in his hand.

"I'll see you before you leave." He promised her before he handed her the object in his hand, the bracelet. "It's yours, so, even if you don't want me you still keep it."

Bella took the bracelet and didn't say another word before she walked away from him. The rest of the day went as usual, well, as usual as a town in mourning could be. It was quiet even for Forks and near empty, no one out or on the road. Charlie stayed at the Clearwaters after Bella and most of the people had left. When she entered the house and kicked off the black heels she'd worn to the funeral, Bella sank onto the couch and stared at the blank television as she tried to figured out the proper things to do after attending a wake. Should she call the Clearwaters and say sorry for their lose again? Just go to sleep and wake up tomorrow like nothing happened? Bella palmed her camera that Angela dropped of the day after prom and flipped through her pictures pausing at one that was of her dad, Billy, and Harry Clearwater. If she healed Billy why didn't she help Harry? She should have stayed around him, apparently her being around people helped them so she should have stayed around. Why would she have been around him anyway? She wasn't close to Leah or Seth so it would have seemed odd if she just stuck around. She sighed and put her camera down before she went up the steps to her room.

* * *

><p>"Lydia?" Bella called as she opened the stores unlocked door, despite the closed sign flipped on the window. It was a hour after opening time and Bella could smell the burning incense and saw candles burning. No Lydia in sight. Bella walked around the counter and saw a small puddle of blood followed by a trail through the curtain leading to the back room. She shakily pulled back the curtain and screamed out.<p>

Lydia was laying on the floor, dead, cuts and slashes all over her body. Despite knowing she was dead, Bella collapsed and gather Lydia's cold body into her arms trying to feel for a movement, a pulse, and breath but she got nothing. She tried to summon her powers, do anything to get Lydia back to life but nothing happened. Crying and smeared with blood that wasn't her's, Bella stumbled back to the front and called the police.

"And you opened the door it was unlocked?" The policeman asked her fifteen minutes later as Bella watched them haul Lydia's dead body into the coroners van.

"Yea." She responded in a daze, Charlie wrapped his arms around her.

"But the sign was flipped to closed?" The man questioned, giving her a suspicious look.

"Yes, Lydia called me and asked me to come up to see her, when I got here I saw the sign said closed so I buzzed her apartment above the store. I called her apartment then the store before I turned the knob and saw it was open." She explained, the policeman looked at her sharply.

"What did she call you for?" He asked, Charlie grew tense as he recognized the tone the cop was using.

"That's enough." Charlie said firmly. "I saw the body and there's no way she could do _that_ in the time she arrived, hell, I don't even think a human could do that." The policeman obviously agreed and let Bella go but she knew what had done that to Lydia. A vampire, Bella had gotten one of her friends killed and couldn't save her. Charlie recommended that she ride back with him and he would make his deputy drive her truck, Bella agreed. Half way home, she asked him to pull over as the nausea over took her. After she emptied the contents of her stomach, Charlie handed her a bottle of water to rinse her mouth out.

Lydia had most likely because of Bella and because of what Bella was. Her blood was literally and figuratively on Bella's hands and Bella was helpless to do anything about it now. She should have gotten there earlier, been there at opening and maybe she could have done something, use her apparently useless gift to save Lydia. She didn't talk all the way home and didn't stop to breath until her body hit her mattress. She didn't even move, watching the light disappear outside of her window until her dad came up with a bowl of soup and glass of water.

"Maybe I shouldn't go to Jacksonville." She stated. Charlie shook his head, obviously not leaving her room until he saw her eat something.

"Nah, you should get away from all this death." Charlie told her sternly, Bella thought a moment and nodded in agreement. She finished the soup and Charlie left her alone. Bella showered and watched the blood she had on her upper arms wash away and go down the drain. She decided to just throw the clothes she had been wearing away and opened her window to get the metallic smell of blood out of her room. She hated to admit that she wanted Jacob to come through her window, or door, Charlie liked him enough to let him in. She pulled a cigarette from her drawer and held it between her fingers because it's very feeling comforted her but she didn't smoke it.

The next day following the meeting she had with Tammy, the woman who ran the Forks Day Camp, Bella was packing up her suitcase for her trip when she heard the doorbell ring. She sighed and marched down the stairs and to her surprise (sarcasm...mostly) it was Jacob.

"Hey." He greeted when she opened the door, "I heard about Lydia, I'm so sorry."

"Yea," Bella dead panned and led him up the stairs so she can continue to pack. He sat on her desk chair and watched her movement through worried eyes.

"You know?" She began as she folded and tucked. "I only cried about it for a few minutes at most, has death become so common around me that I'm not phases about it anymore?"

"I hope not." Jacob said softly, Bella shrugged.

"Maybe I have, blood and chaos follow me everywhere. I could have saved Lydia if I arrived a little earlier, hell, I could have maybe saved Harry if I was around him." She told him, still folding and tucking clothes away.

"No you couldn't, if you had been with Lydia when she was attacked it would have taken a vampire all of two seconds to kills you with or without your gifts and Harry had a heart attack two years ago and didn't do anything different so that was out of your hands." He insisted then noticed the other suitcase already packed, "You are sure taking a lot with you." He commented, Bella shrugged.

"I'm kind of thinking about not coming back." She admitted and at that Jacob did rise from the chair.

"Don't," She told him firmly before he could speak, "Let's get some basic facts down, just by me being here you and your friends were forced into becoming werewolves! I find some gift of mine that proves pretty damn useless most of the time! At least one person is dead, died a horrible death, because of whatever I am and all of you are at risk. Why the hell would I stay here and watch everyone I love die!" She slammed her suitcase shut and covered her eyes in frustration. She heard Jacob walk over to her before she felt his warm hands pulled her hand away from her face.

"Look at me," He ordered as he cupped her face gently. "_None_ of this is your fault, none of it."

"The vampire turned Dax because she wanted me, Dax is here because he wants me. Anything that happened after they showed up is my fault." She told him while backing away from him and sitting on the bed.

"Bella." His eyes pleaded with her but she exhaled roughly and stood up.

"I have to pack." She told him in a clearly dismissive tone and Jacob opened and closed his mouth four times until he moved to stalk out of her room. Bella turned her head when she heard the distinct sound of a fist hitting the wall.

"Dammit!" Jacob snarled and looked at her with pleading eyes. "I don't like this! I see you there, in pain and feeling helpless and I want to hold you and kiss you and tell you everything will be alright but you won't let me, I don't know what to do so will you please tell me."

Bella sighed and moved to her desk to disconnect her laptop and the wires, Jacob watched her movement closely. She placed her camera in its protective case, and fingered Jacob's grey hoodie that was flung over her desk chair before she turned back to him.

"I need time," She admitted. "I know I said I would stay and fight for this, for us, but that was when I thought I was the only one who was at risk." Jacob sighed and opened his clenched fists.

"Do you time _and_ space?" He asked her softly, Bella shrugged and shook her head. At her admission, Jacob wrapped his strong, warm arms her tightly and rubbed his jaw along her hair lightly.

"Have fun in Jacksonville," He told her, not releasing her yet. "Just call me when you get there, to let me know you made it."

"I will." She promised and didn't move until he released her and pressed a light kiss on her forehead. With his werewolf speed he was out of the house in a second and Bella was left alone in the cold silence of her bedroom. All packed and nothing else to do, Bella logged into her laptop and student email to see if she had missed anything on the last day. She frowned she saw her message from Mr. Hurans.

**To: **

**I found out what kind of flower it was that you gave me it's called Radyr Hawkweed. It's rare and is only found on the coastal towns in Wales. **

**From: **

Wales? Again with Wales? Bella groaned and closed her laptop. Wales was literally a sea away from Ireland, so it's possible the Healys went from Wales, to Ireland to American but their last name was Irish so could they have changed their names too? If so why? Should she be looking into Irish and Welsh mythology? Charlie was Italian and Renee was supposedly of Irish descent, wasn't she? Frustrated and no where to go, Bella called Embry and asked him to do an ancestry search for the Swans and Healys by using any means legal or not. As she felt another headache coming on, Bella walked rifled through her drawers until she found an old pill bottle with her pain medication in it. Sitting on the couch, Bella let her eyes close to dream about a day she would have nothing to worry about.


	22. Chapter 22: Jacksonville

Disclaimer: I do not own Twilight

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Bella fingered the charm bracelet again as she sat in the airport terminal in Kansas during her layover. Jacob told her he loved her, she hung up the phone. Jacob took her to prom, she started a fight. She caused Dax and that female vampire to come to Forks looking for her which caused the pack to shift in the first place, and he didn't even blame her. Wow, her relationships sucked greatly. Maybe if she had been normal she and Jacob's relationship would have progressed normally. Riding the motorcycles together, going to the movies, heading to the beach, playing pool at the grille and knowing Jacob he would have let her win. Than again, had she been a normal girl she would have died on her grandmothers floor or she'd be a vampire. What is normal anyway? Nowadays society names the normal people, those with a good job, perfect family, nice house, as abnormal. Growing up in the world where the supernatural and paranormal are the norm. A world ruled by texts, tweets, and status updates. Where everyone has to have baggage, did Bella every stand a chance at normalcy? Did anyone? Pulling herself away from her philosophical monologue, Bella picked up her carry on and walked outside to the smokers section. She snapped a few photo's of the surrounding area before she pulled a cigarette from the pack she had and held it nostalgically between her fingers.

"Need a light?" Bella turned to see a cute guy offering her a pack of matches. The guy had dark, auburn hair and bright green eyes. He was cute, hott at most with potential to be sexy and handsome when he got older. He looked about nineteen or twenty and his attire made Bella assume he was in college. A promotional tee-shirt of the band Live Bait (a band Bella loved), faded jeans, a pair of converse sneakers, and a canvas messenger bag.

"No thank you." She told him. "I don't smoke."

"Really?" He asked, gesturing to her cigarette.

"I mean, I quit smoking." She explained with a sheepish smile.

"Got it." He replied in an understanding tone and then asked. "Would it be a bad temptation if I smoked?"

"Not at all." Bella answered and watched him pull a pack of Farros from his messenger bag. She snapped a picture of him when he took his first drag and smiled a bit at the look of pure elation on his face. Though she was sure he knew she took his picture he didn't comment and instead extended his hand towards her.

"Chandler O'Brady."

"Bella Swan." She replied and took his hand, flinching as she felt the familiar warmth she associated with her gifts and tucked her hand away just as a bit of nausea hit.

"So," Chandler started while giving her a dissecting gaze. "Where are you headed?"

Bella shook her head lightly. "Sorry but years of Special Victims Unit tell me not to divulge that information."

"No problem I totally respect that." Chandler said complete unphased by her evasiveness.

"You?" Bella questioned, Chandler took another drag of his cigarette.

"Heading to Jacksonville." Jacksonville? Bella was weary of him instantly and crossed her arms in a guarded movement.

"Why are you headed there?" She asked.

"Family lives there." He answered simply. "I go to school in northern California."

"Oh," Bella said, accepting the completely innocent and logical reason. "I'm visiting my mother and step-dad." She offered, feeling slightly guilty for assuming he meant her harm.

"Just got out of school too?" He asked.

Bella nodded. "Yea, my junior year in high school."

"Really?" He asked genuinely shocked. "You look older."

"Yea, people tell me that all the time." When life kicked the shit out of you on a somewhat daily basis it take a toll on your body. Bella and Chandler talked for a while more before she checked the time an announced she had to go. After boarding and sitting down, Bella looked out of the window to the landing strip until she felt a tap on her shoulder. It was Chandler. He smiled and sat next to her and though he looked nonthreatening enough, Bella felt another surge of suspicion go through her.

"You seriously have a seat next to mine?" She asked, Chandler withdrew and handed her his ticket and Bella handed it back after she confirmed he was assigned to sit there.

"Guess you don't have to tell me where you're headed now." He joked as he tucked the ticket back in his bag, Bella smiled back a little.

"Well, Jacksonville could be a lay over to the Bahamas." She pointed out, Chandler laughed. They talked quietly during their three hour plane ride and even exchanged number, well, Chandler gave his to Bella and not the other way around. He told her that if she got bored in Jacksonville and wanted to hang out she should call him or if she just got bored. Though Bella's knowledge of flirting and the courting rituals of the modern people but she definitely picked up the flirting vibes Chandler sent her. Bella exited the plane and bid Chandler goodbye after they left luggage claim and he pulled a very charming move by waiting with her until Renee and Phil showed up.

"Who's that?" Renee asked with a bright smile on her tan face, Bella shrugged.

"Just some guys I met on the plane." She responded as Phil loaded her suitcase in the trunk of the couples new convertible.

Renee and Phil Dwyer's house was in a slightly upscale neighborhood of Jacksonville. The kind of neighbor where everyone had a pool even though they bordered the beach and city. Bella saw kids playing in front yards and on the street and for a second she thought of her life in Phoenix pre-Daxton. She vaguely remembered playing with some kids but she knew they played in the desert and on their front yard or back yards. The couples house was average size for the neighborhood, chic and modern with geometric lines and what not. The inside was even more chic and modern, marble, stainless steel, and glass. All in all it seemed a bit cold and sterile for her mothers New Age tastes. Instead of food in the fridge or dirty dishes in the sink, Bella laughed at the restaurant guides and take out menus on the fridge and kitchen table. That wasn't surprising or disappointing because it was well known Renee Dwyer couldn't boil water without help. Renee showed Bella to her room, which was big and had a huge window that looked over the neighborhood, and left to let her get situated before they went to dinner. She showered first, having spent nearly eight hours on a plane made her feel sticky and gross, and brushed her teeth before she called Charlie to let him know she was here. After assuring her father she wouldn't let her mom run her all over the state Bella called Jacob.

"Hey moonbeam," He greeted in a warm voice. "You make it okay?"

"Yea." She answered, not surprised at the relief she felt just from hearing his voice.

"What are you going to do now?" He asked and Bella hoped he meant in Jacksonville for the time being and not for the future.

"Mom and Phil are taking me to some Ethiopian restaurant for dinner and tomorrow it's shopping and Cuban food." She told him and made him chuckle because he knew how she felt about shopping.

"Sounds fun." He told her sarcastically. "Just make sure you relax."

"I will." She promised and was followed by a few moments of silence before Jacob spoke again.

"I love you." He told her and Bella winced. "You make not want to hear it but I do."

She did was to hear it, she wanted to say it too, wanted to shout it from the roof but she couldn't form the words.

"I miss you." Bella told him honestly and Jacob sighed in defeat.

"I miss you too." He answered.

"What are you doing the rest of the day?" Since it was almost seven in Florida Bella estimated it to be about three or four in Forks.

"I have to fix the Stone's screen door then I'll be in the garage until patrol." He replied, Bella won't admit to Jacob that she hated the grueling round-the-clock scheduled that Sam had him on because, again, it was her fault they had to patrol in the first place.

"Be careful." She advised sternly, Jacob chuckled lightly.

"I always am." He reminded her. "_You_ just make sure you put sunscreen on."

"Ha ha, I'm not that pale." She snapped jokingly, Jacob laughed again.

"Sure sure, I'll talk to you later." He said before he ceased laughing. "I love you."

"I miss you too, bye." And with another short and slightly rude goodbye, Bella hung up the phone.

* * *

><p>For the thousandth time since she arrived in Florida Bella wished Jacob was sitting next to her as she sat across from her mother in the noisy Cuban restaurant. It was her third dayevening here and Renee had driven Bella and herself down to Palm Coast for more shopping and better food. In the days spent with her mother, Bella had acquired a new shoes, clothes, a bikini she was certain she would never wear, and a tattoo. Yep, Renee had signed the permission waver and Bella had gotten a tattoo that still hurt. It was a two inch dragonfly inked on the inside of her left wrist. After she had gotten the tattoo, Renee had pulled into a yoga shop and surrounded by the peaceful music and burning incense Bella felt a wave of grief consume her. She hadn't even stayed around to go to Lydia's funeral. The woman died because of Bella and she couldn't even postpone her trip. One good thing about this trip was that Renee was one of those 'cool' moms and let Bella have daiquiris which, given the past year, was not a bad thing. A bad thing about her mother was that the woman was observant and bombarded her with questions at Bella's first mention of Jacob. How long have they been together? How cute was he? Did she mean the same Jacob Black Bella played with as a kid? Did they go to prom together? Were they having sex? Did they plan to have sex soon? God, it was too much but over fruity alcoholic drinks Bella was answering the questions honestly until nature called.

As Bella washed her hands after doing her business she was over come with the familiar feeling of a vampire before she looked up in the mirror.

"Jesus!" She nearly screamed in surprise as she saw Rosalie standing behind her. As always Rosalie looked gorgeous, like a model that belonged in Miami rather than Palm Coast. Her long blond hair was half pulled back and she had on a red salsa dress which wasn't surprising seeing as the restaurant had a dance floor.

"Sorry." Rosalie said unapologetic ally. "Emmett thought he smelled you."

"What are you two doing here?" Bella asked remembering that not only didn't the Cullens or any vampires eat or drink, Florida was known as the Sunshine State and sunshine was something they avoided.

"Best salsa clubs and great night life." Rosalie answered simply as she checked herself in the mirror. "And it's pretty common for a girl to only come out at night and not eat anything in this state."

True, it was mostly Miami but Florida in general was model central and no one would believe Rosalie wasn't a model. The two walked out of the bathroom and Bella ducked her mothers gaze to move over to where Emmett was sitting.

"Hey there type E." The dimpled giant greeted before scooping her up in a hug. "I knew it was you."

"And how could I have missed you two?" A gentle giant and a swim suit model should have stuck out and Bella was sure she would have noticed them eventually had been closer.

"You don't pay attention." Emmett told her disapprovingly. "Please don't tell me your here alone."

Bella shook her head and pointed to her mom. "Nope, I have a parental unit accompanying me."

"Oh yea." Emmett stated sarcastically. "She looks dangerous, you have nothing to fear as long as she's here."

"Don't knock my mother." Bella told him with a smile and dragged them over to Renee to introduce them as her friends. Renee remembered the Cullen's by last name and was more than happy to greet members of the family that helped saved her daughters life. The four of them chatted before Bella went to get her mother another drink and was approached by another familiar face.

"Bella?" She turned to see Chandler smiling at her. Okay, getting uncomfortable. Chandler had told her that his family lived in Jacksonville but what was he doing, not only in Palm Coast, in the one restaurant where Bella was.

"Hey." She greeted hesitantly. "What are you doing here?" She asked with a forced smile, Chandler shrugged.

"My aunt Fiona lives here." Another logical explanation, but all her survival instincts told her to be weary.

"Oh." Chandler instantly froze as Emmett walked over to them.

"Bella, your mom is in desperate need of her drink." Emmett told her with a smile while inspecting Chandler.

"Right." Bella gripped the cold drink, grateful at Emmett's intrusion. "I'll see you later."

"He smells like you." Emmett said into her ear as they walked back to her mom's table where Renee sat with Rosalie. Bella didn't need to look up know Chandler was keeping her in his line of vision. Emmett positioned himself in a position where he kept Chandler directly in his view. The rest of the evening went pretty well, Rosalie and Emmett had bad excuses for not eating with them but luckily Renee was too drunk to really care. Then the couple stepped onto the dance floor to dance Bella felt the pang of emptiness and guilt as she remembered the last and only time she and Jacob had danced together at prom. By midnight, Emmett was all but carrying her mother to the back seat of their convertible. When Bella confessed that she couldn't drive stick, Rosalie volunteered to drive them back to Jacksonville (Bella figured she just wanted to get behind the wheel of her mothers Mustang) and Emmett would drive behind them. Remembering that her mothers credit card was still at the bar, Bella walked back into the restaurant and was instantly approached by Chandler.

"You can't go home," He said out of nowhere. "Not with _them_."

_Them?_ "What are you talking about?"

"You should know what I'm talking about." He told her. "You feel what they are."

Okay, survival instinct kicking in at the highest level. "I have to go."

Bella grabbed her mom's credit card and moved to leave when Chandler grabbed her arm to let herself panic, Bella used a move Jacob had taught her and punched Chandler in the solar plexus and ran from the restaurant.

"What is it?" Emmett asked then glared at Chandler who ran out after Bella. When Chandler approached the group threateningly, Emmett and Rosalie stood in front of Bella protectively.

"Bella," Chandler started while glaring at the couple in front of him. "You can't leave with these people, they'll kill you."

"Yea," Bella scoffed. "And I'm meant to leave with a guy who I just met?"

"At least I'm alive!" Instant silence dawned and Bella was happy Renee had passed out in the backseat. Emmett stood guarded while Rosalie pushed Bella into the passenger seat and jumped into the drivers side. Bella felt worried for Emmett as Rosalie pulled out of the restaurant parking lot and demanded directions to Bella's house until she saw Rosalie's red BMW pulled up behind them. Bella's mind was reeling all the way back to her mothers house. Who the hell was Chandler O'Brady? Did he know her before they met at the airport? Most likely. What the hell did he want? How did he know about Rosalie and Emmett? Did he know about her? By the time Rosalie stopped in front of the Dwyer's house and Bella pulled her mother out of the backseat and helped the wobbly woman into the house. After Renee was situated in her bed, Bella walked back into the living room where both Rosalie and Emmett stood. Luckily, Phil was away at some baseball game or camp she didn't know or really care.

"Where did you meet that guy?" Emmett asked.

"At a layover in Kansas, he told me his lived in Jacksonville but I didn't tell him anything about you guys I swear." Bella insisted earnestly, Emmett nodded.

"I know you didn't, but I also know he gives off the same scent you do but it's different." He told her, Rosalie remained silent but Bella sensed her quietly assessing the situation they were in.

"How different?" Bella asked.

"Murkier." Emmett said, obviously not thinking of a better word. "You're smell is lighter, fresh but his was stale."

"He smelled stale?" Bella questioned, Emmett nodded. "I don't want you here if he means trouble."

Rosalie and Emmett laughed. "We can handle ourselves." Rosalie told her but Bella simply shook her head.

"No," She said sternly. "Death follows me enough and I don't want it to catch you." After a few minutes of protested, Bella watched the pair get into Rosalie's car and take off. After a brief shower and brushing her teeth, Bella checked in on her drunken mother before she entered the guest room. She realized too late that she wasn't alone in the room and a hand clamped over her mouth. Though she tried to use her gifts she found that she couldn't.

"You can't use your powers on me." It was Chandler but that didn't placate her and she struggled harder, using each maneuver Jacob taught her but Chandler anticipated each move.

"Stop struggling I'm not going to hurt you." Yea right. "Stop fighting and I'll move my hand, if you don't I'll go after your mom."

_That_ pissed her off to a point where Bella and Chandler heard the window begin to crack.

"You're stronger than I anticipated, knock it off." He ordered. "I just want to talk." Controlling her pulse and breathing, Bella calmed down and Chandler removed his hand but kept his hand around her throat but not hard enough to choke her.

"How the hell did you find me?" She demanded.

"Our kind can locate each other if 'others' aren't around them." He explained, his breath tickling her ear.

"Our kind?" Bella asked, "You know what I am?"

"Don't you?" He asked, then at her silence chuckled. "You don't do you?"

"Doesn't matter," She snapped. "Let me go and get out."

"I can't," He told her. "You need to come with me, right now."

"No way."

"You can either come voluntarily or against your will, but you have to." He insisted and Bella raised a brow at his pleading tone.

"Why?" She asked.

"Because you're in danger here," He informed her. "Hanging with vampires and werewolves?" Bella gasped.

"How did you know that?" She asked shocked, Chandler exhaled roughly.

"There's no time, you have to come with me now." He began pulling her by her arm out of the room and when they hit the living room Bella yanked her arm out of his grasp. Chandler sneered and moved to grab her again when Bella held up her hand and a beam of light pushed him away from her. Chandler looked shocked and Bella ran to her front door, knowing he would follow her. Halfway down to the car Bella was grabbed from behind and she flung her arm around sending Chandler back on the front yard.

"Damn Healys." He snarled before he literally disappeared in a beam of light right before Bella's eyes.

* * *

><p>Back in Washington, Bella pounded mercilessly on the posh double doors of the huge house. When the doors opened Bella glared at the woman before her.<p>

"What the hell am I?" She demanded.

Olivia Healy smiled at her granddaughter before she stepped aside.

"Come in, I'll brew some tea."

**Authors Note: I've been mentioning Bella's grandmother for a couple chapters and now we'll finally get to the bottom of Bella's heritage and gifts. This also isn't the last time we'll see Chandler O'Brady.**


	23. Chapter 23: Discoveries Part 2

Disclaimer: I do not own Twilight.

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Jacob crawled out from under the Stones kitchen sink and smiled kindly at Samantha Stone who was sitting on her counter offering him a glass of iced tea. Samantha was seventeen, Jacob had just attended her birthday party, and given the way she smelled and was looking she was interested in Jacob as more than a handy man.

"Thanks so much for coming here so soon Jake." She said appreciatively with a sultry smile, Jacob shrugged as he put his tools into the tool box.

"No problem," Jacob told her. "A lot of people accidentally shove silverware in the garbage disposal." Actually, no one shoved silver wear in their disposal if it was covered by a strainer like the Stone's was.

"Well, here's for your time." She handed him the money her dad left. "But you don't have to run off so soon."

Jacob was saved from pleasantly declining her invitation when his cell phone rang. He smiled when he saw Bella's photo i.d. on the screen.

"Hey moonbeam," Samantha's demeanor instantly dampened at the obviously revealing nickname. "What's up?"

"I'm back in Washington." Bella informed him and instantly Jacob was on alert.

"Why? Are you okay?" He asked and tried not to respond to Samantha's look of anticipation before she moved to her fridge.

"I'm fine," Bella insisted. "I just had to see my grandmother about something." Jacob shifted helplessly when Samantha presented him with a plate of cookies.

"So babe," He empathized the word on purpose. "When are you coming home?"

"Hopefully tomorrow night." Bella told him and Jacob did a mental shout of joy. "I miss you."

"I miss you too." He said loud enough for Samantha to hear. "I love you, come home soon."

"I will," Bella told him, "See you soon."

"Bye." He said and hung up before he turned back to Samantha. "Good cookies."

"Thank you!" Samantha said happily, "Why don't you stay for dinner and you can try try my cherry pie."

God, Jacob hoped she meant the actual dessert.

* * *

><p>After hanging up her cell phone, Bella couldn't help but think that Jacob wasn't alone when he answered. He made it clear to who ever he was with that she was on the phone. Was he with another girl? Was he cheating on her? Did it count as cheating on her if he was? She was the one with the commitment issues so he was within his rights to seek love from another source. Even as the thought passed through her mind, the idea of Jacob with another girl pissed Bella off a lot. Sitting in her grandmothers sun room Bella was gripping her tea cup as Olivia presented her with lavender scones.<p>

"You're boyfriend alright?" Olivia asked in a monotone voice, Bella nodded.

"How did you know I have a boyfriend?" She asked, Olivia shrugged innocently.

"Joesph tells me a lot of things when he visits." Olivia told her. "How far have the two of you gone?"

"How about this," Bella started. "You don't ask me personal questions about my relationship with Jacob and I won't ask you about you and Joesph Redwolf."

"Deal." Olivia agreed with a smile. "So how far progressed are your powers?"

"Just tell me what I, we, are grandma." Bella pleaded and Olivia pinned her with a stare.

"You first." She ordered and despite herself, Bella told the old woman everything that happened from using her powers on Daxton all those months ago to Chandler trying to kidnap her. Bella hadn't realized until she was talking just how mush she hadn't told Charlie, or Jacob for that matter. Olivia didn't so much as flinch as Bella told her about the vampires and werewolves that had overtook her life.

"So all this started after Jacob claimed you as his own?" Olivia asked after Bella finished, Bella shrugged.

"Not really, I mean I guess my gifts grew more extreme and frequent after he 'claimed me'" Olivia hmmed. "Why? What the hell does that mean?"

"We're called the _Tylwyth Teg_." Olivia started. "It's a type of Fair Folk."

"What?" Bella asked, her grandmother sighed.

"The Healys, like many others of the _Tylwyth Teg_ race were originally traveling folk from Wales but we weren't the charlatans most gypsies were. We traveled and helped people from town to town. Cure their ailments, acted at midwives, and made their farms and animals flourish, which is why you and your mother had a garden even in the harsh Phoenix climate. We were -are- creatures of light, much like some of the faerie race but our kind were -are- rare, rarer than the Fae. We left Wales when an army of Dark Fae wanted to recruit us, turn us dark and eventually use us to enslave every 'other' being on earth. The Dark Fae wanted to eliminate the human race and become the master race. We couldn't let it happen so we snuck into Ireland, where most of the Fae resided, and stole the 'Tuatha Dé Danann' a text stolen from us years before and set sail for America. We were all but helpless, penniless, but we went where the earth told us we'd be safe."

"La Push?" Bella guessed. "To the Quiluetes?"

Olivia nodded. "We knew the Quiluetes were protectors and it was almost natural law that while we protect this realm and healed their people, they would protect us. Many of the _Tylwyth Teg _race has found a home near or around wolves. We decided to settle in Forks because it was small enough to keep an eye out for our enemies.

"The Dark Fae?" Bella asked, and instantly felt a wave of disbelief as she said the words.

"And vampires." Bella froze.

"Vampire's are out enemies too?" She asked going pale, Olivia nodded.

"Yes, it's a fact that our blood can turn a vampire back into humans but they would have to drain us for the amount needed. Vampires nearly hunted us to extinction which is why we're so rare, most of them viewed us as a threat to their race but some simply wanted to be human again."

Bella remembered her last conversation with that female vampire before she was killed.

_Why me?" Bella asked, the vamp stiffened. _

_"Because of what you are" She spat._

_"And that is?" Bella asked again._

_"Something that should have been wiped from existence centuries ago, something that could destroy us" Bella raised a brow._

_"Us?" She questioned then realized. "you mean vampires?"_

_"Yes."_

"So when we arrived as La Push the Chief William Black-"

"Ephraim Black's father?" Bella asked, Olivia nodded.

"He ordered us to...subdue our magic until a treaty between our people was sealed. Since we felt the powers of the Quiluetes and their lands we complied. Back then, truces were upheld through land, money, or marriage. In exchange for protection and right to reside on their land if we wished, you're great-great aunt Treasa was meant to marry Ephraim Black but she didn't make it through the winter. In their grief, the Healy's all but forgot about the treaty because they never lose a child before and the treaty was left unsealed," Olivia looked at her sharply. "Until now."

Bella stood up and pinned her hands on her hips as she pinned her grandmother with an accusing stare.

"So Jacob imprinting on me signed some century old treaty and released the families magic?" Bella asked. "Do you realize how high you sound right now? How high _I _sound?"

"Yes, but the magic had always been in you and showed up when you needed them like when Daxton tried to kill you and your healing had always been there, not only with Billy either. Did you notice none of your friends got sick? Or that they're injuries healed faster while they were around you?"

"Grandma," Bella pointed out. "I hang out with vamps and wolves, if they ever get hurt they naturally heal fast."

"Oh right." Olivia remembered.

"So I'm some Welsh healing fairy?" Bella asked as she dropped back into the chair.

"Faerie." Olivia corrected her pronunciation, and Bella snapped.

"Whatever!" She cried. "I don't want it!"

"Too bad!" Her grandmother yelled back. "You friends and family are in danger! The man you love is risking his life for you each time he goes out and your not going to use your powers to help him?"

"How can I help when I can't even control my 'powers'?" Olivia stood up from the table and went up the stairs only to return a few minutes later with an old looking book that reminded Bella of the Book of Shadows from Charmed.

"Learn," Olivia said sternly and placed the book on the table and Bella saw it was the Tuatha Dé Danann'. "just as everyone else had to but we only had a scrap of the power you do."

"Why do I have more power?" Bella asked, not opening the book.

"Because you not only unleashed the families gifts but you are also the seventh Healy daughter." Olivia explained.

"You mean the whole seventh daughter of a family of daughters legend? I thought that only happened in a direct line of sisters not generations." Bella questioned.

"Legends get things wrong all the time. When we first arrived in America there was Grian Healy, her daughter Solara and Treasa, Treasa died, Solara had my mother Caitlyn, I had your mother-"

"And I make lucky number seven." Bella deadpanned. "Great, what does that mean?"

"I'm not sure." Olivia admitted. "I can only help in the _Tylwyth Teg_ department." Bella glared at her grandmother and looked at the huge book between them.

"Oh do cheer up Isabella it's not that bad." Olivia told her then at the teenagers pointed look she shrugged. "Alright it is."

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><p>The next morning as Bella sat with her bags at the coffee shop opposite the bus station, after calling Charlie and explained that she wanted to get home to prepare for the day camp job, Bella purchased a few books on Fairies -oops- Faerie Magic and a ticket that would take her from Seattle to Port Angeles. Faeries? Sounded like something out of a crappy tv show. Of all the tings to be she was a creature that had wings and left a trail of pixie dust in it's wake. She had been to Sedona a few times, listened to the supernatural ramblings of men and woman Bella figured were on some form of LSD while speaking. According to her grandmother a drop of faerie blood made you a full Fae and since Jacob's imprinting unleashed a gift centuries old, Bella's future children wouldn't have a choice in the matter of their blood. Children? How the hell did that pop into her head? Did thinking of Jacob's imprinting make her think of having kids? Bella was all but forced down his throat if you believed the whole fate thing. Was is fate that Bella went to the party where she met Daxton? Or that Charlie told her to get a hobby the same day Joe Marks cleaned out his garage? Before all this happened Bella didn't believe in fate but she also didn't believe in werewolves, vampires, and especially fairies. Bella looked up from the coffee when a shadow cast over her and a chill went up her spine.<p>

"I know I scared you." Chandler said as he sat across from her.

"Get the hell away from me or I'll scream." Bella warned him darkly, Chandler sighed.

"I'm sorry about Jacksonville," He told her sincerely. "But I freaked when I realized you were leaving with those vampires."

"They, unlike you, have not only saved my life but they've earned my trust." She snapped.

"I'm trying to protect you." Chandler snapped back. "Those leeches will drain you dry and that pack of mangy curs you run with will kill you just for sport."

"No they won't because they are meant to protect from people like you." Bella was convinced Chandler was a Dark Fae.

"Like me?" He asked with a piercing stare. "You and I are the same kind of person Bella, don't like a feud centuries old define us now."

"Us?" Bella sneered. "There is no us, and that's a lot from a guy who tried to kidnap me." She pointed out.

"For your own good." He insisted and sighed. "You don't understand-"

"No, I don't care." She corrected him and moved to slap his approaching hand away only to watch in wonder as her hand passed through his. "You're not real." She realized.

"I am real," Chandler told her. "I'm in astral form."

"How can you do that?" She asked in amazement, Chandler smiled.

"I can teach you." He told her lightly. "Teach you to protect yourself so you won't have to rely on those wolves."

"In exchange for what?" She asked, half considering the offer.

"The Tuatha Dé Danann text." Bella tensed and collected her luggage. "Bella-"

"Don't come near me or the people around us will wonder how my fist went through your head." She snapped and stormed out of the coffee shop.

Sitting in the uncomfortable bus seat, Bella clutched the leather pack that held the old book. Did Chandler know where she was going? Could he project himself anywhere? What the hell was she thinking heading back to Forks? She was hoping to find a way to kill Dax and now she had to find a way to avoid Chandler. She still had a normal relationship with Jacob look forward to...she hoped. Despite the urge to walk by and see what became of the Sacred Circle Bookstore but as usual Charlie was right on time to pick her up. After his response of a grumbled vow to call her mother about Bella's tattoo, Charlie remained silent on the car ride to Forks. She wanted to call Jacob and let him know she was almost home but decided not to. What if he was with another girl? Would Jacob do that to Bella? Had she finally managed to push him away only to realize she never wanted him to leave? Was she really thinking about her relationship status with everything else she had discovered on her mind? Yep. Bella considered worrying about her love life as a not so happy distraction from everything else because Bella knew if she let it all hit at once she would end up having a panic attack and Charlie would freak.

"How's Sue Clearwater doing?" Bella asked, dragging herself from her narcissistic stupor.

Charlie sighed. "She's coping, Leah and Seth got sick a little after Harry died but Jake tells me they're better now."

Uh Oh, Bella hoped the pair were simply weak from mourning their father and didn't shift sue to the emotional trauma. Bella focused on the sea of green outside the window the rest of the journey home. After unpacking, calling Tammy, and a somewhat quiet dinner Bella was happy to be home. It wasn't until she was sitting in the stony silence of her room that it all hit her. The faeries, Chandler, the idea of any of the Cullen's becoming human, and the option of handing over the Tuatha Dé Danann text and running away to Canada. Where in Canada? Toronto? Film festivals, artists, and music. Montreal? A European type city where she could speak french on a daily basis and the Canadian health care system and education system was better than America's. Donning her sweats, Bella told Charlie she was going for a run. She couldn't break now. So she ran instead, fast and focusing only on the sound of her footsteps. Why should she break now? After learning about what was she was? A creature of light who was meant to heal others and fight the Dark Fae. Her destiny was to fight and teach her future kids to fight and use their powers, powers she had no idea who to control. Everything in her mind told Bella she couldn't handle this. She only stopped running when she had tears streaming down her face and noticed the ground beneath her shoes felt different. She was at the beach, she had run all the way to La Push? Eying the temptingly freezing water then checking to confirm no one else was around, Bella stripped down to the underwear and all but dove into the small waves. In the cold but comforting water Bella felt at ease. She felt as though nothing could harm her here. The racing thoughts in her head slowed and she felt she could breathe again, when her head surfaced anyway. She didn't know whether she felt safe and at ease because she was in the ocean or because she was on Quiluete land or just because she was in Forks and she didn't care either way. When was the last time she had gone swimming? Bella didn't know how long she had been in the water until she realized that the only light that illuminated the grounds came from the moon and star. As she swan to the shore she was happy to see Jacob standing by the shore in a muscle shirt and jeans. He wrapped Bella in the wam blanket he had in his hands before the pair fell back on the sand.

"Did the wind tell you I would jump into the ocean?" Jacob laughed and he rubbed her arms gently to warm her up.

"You've been in there an house," He told her, which shocked Bella. "I asked Quil to bring the blanket to me who I could watch you."

Bella nodded and relished in his warmth listening to his steady heartbeat under her ear. Despite all she has put him through, each fight and suspicious look, Jacob loved her and Bella could feel is in every word he said to her.

"I love you." She finally said. "And I'm sorry for-" She couldn't say anything else because Jacob covered her lips with his.

Time stood still. Nothing existed; nothing moved or breathed except Jacob. His parted lips stole her breathe. His tongue pushed past, sinking into the surprised depths of her mouth. As usual, Jacob asked for nothing. He swept in and conquered. Claimed. She could feel the claiming in the hard hands that pulled her closer to his body and in the length of his erection pressing against her lower stomach as he took the position of lying over her. Bella was doing some claiming of her own. Her hands sank into his hair, her fingertips glorying in the feel of his short, silky strands. Her hips arched as his hands moved to the rounded curves of her rear. A hot, dark moan echoed in his chest as her whimpers of pleasure grew in volume and the kiss became more rapacious. Bella mewed in protest as he tore his lips from hers and started a trail of kisses down her throat. Jacob opened the blanket and followed the trail down her chest. She gasped when he pushed her bra up her chest, exposing her breasts to the cold air. Her nipples barely had time to perk before Jacob's hot, wet mouth covered one while his large hand groped the other. With his free hand, Jacob pushed her panties aside and sunk a finger into her hot core. One finger turned into two and Bella felt him sketching her while his thumb fingered her clitoris eagerly. When she came around his hand, Bella was sure that her scream would bring people running.

Jacob lifted his head and kissed her. "I love you too." He then grabbed her hand that was trying to unclasp of his jeans. "You don't have to do that."

"I want to." She told him.

Jacob let her flipped their position and watched intently as she undid his jeans. Her shrugged off his shirt as Bella pulled down his jeans and briefs, freeing his fierce (and rather large) erection. She traced her fingers up and down the length of his shaft from his balls to the weeping top. Jacob saw the uncertainty in her gaze but couldn't think of a way to reassure her but all thoughts left his mind as her tongue darted out to lick the droplets of moisture from the head of his cock. He clenched his hands to keep himself from grabbing her hand and pushing himself down her throat. Bella's small, feminine hand gripped the base of his shaft and drew him into the hot crevice of her mouth and all was lost. Jacob tunneled his hand in her hair while he watched her head bob erotically up and down. Just the meet sight of the action almost made him come. He never wanted this to end and just the thought of stripping her of her small panties and lapping at the cream between her legs made him harder, if possible. When he felt himself about to come, Jacob honestly meant to pull away but instead succeeded in pulled her closer as he exploded into her mouth.

As the final spasm had left his system Bella finally pulled away. After righting their clothing and Bella whipping her mouth they resumed their position of her being wrapped in a blanket while laying on his chest.

"Did you get...bigger at the end?" She asked in a small, embarrassed voice. Jacob smiled and kissed her forehead lovingly.

"It's a werewolf thing." He informed her.

"And are you always so," She searched for the word. "Ready?"

"That's a Bella thing."

**Authors Note: Review, Review, Review!**


	24. Chapter 24: Harvest Jacob's POV

Disclaimer: I do not own Twilight.

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She loved him, she loved him, she loved him and she proved it to him in a way most girlfriends didn't until they did something wrong. Jacob didn't bother to try to wipe the smile from his face the next morning as he stood in his garage working. After their little rendezvous at the beach, Jacob had carried the satisfyingly tired Bella back to her front porch and aloud her to go up to her bedroom before he hoped through the window after her. They didn't have sex, the first time they would make love Jacob didn't intend for her to leave the room for a couple days, instead they slept together like before. He had did his little hide in the closet routine when Charlie poked his head in to check on Bella before he went to work while Jacob looked forward to the day he wouldn't have to hide in the closet and about the day he would get to peek in on his daughter. After Charlie left, Jacob had slipped back into Bella's bed and just watched her. He wondered if she really knew how beautiful she really was, alabaster skin and dark wavy hair and her body. Jacob knew she was self conscious about her scars but if anything they turned him on more knowing that his woman was a fighter. He loved her breasts, soft and full, fit into his large hand completely and her pink nipples the color of wild roses. He pert, cute little bottom he loved to palm and feel her jump in surprise. He loved her new tattoo, the dragonfly on her left wrist because he knew it suited her greatly because dragonflies were said to be the communicators between realms and worlds. That was Bella. In between school and a battle for her life, in between her blood right to Charlie and her wish to keep him safe. Her loyalty to him and the wolf pack and the apparent debt she believed she owed to the Cullen's. Jacob winced as he thought of all the weight on his mates shoulders, he wished she would share some of it with him. Jacob could tell there was something else on her mind, despite what happened last night, and he was sure it had to do with why she came home early. After Bella had awoken and brushed her teeth Jacob drove them to the diner for breakfast. She shyly avoided his gaze, obviously nervous about what happened last night, and Jacob simply smiled. After she scolded him about his five egg western omelet, three blueberry pancakes, hash browns, sausages links, biscuits, and gravy and he reminded her she ate like a rabbit, Jacob let her drive him home. He wanted to stay with her, he wanted to call her, hear her voice but she had proclaimed she had some things to do for the day camp. A blatant lie, but Jacob accepted it. Jacob checked in with her father before he showered and retired to his garage. It wasn't until lunch when Jacob heard someone approaching from outside.

"Knock knock." Samantha again, great. With a smile and short skirt and approached him with a tray of cookies. "I brought you a bribe."

"Really?" He asked, placing the cookies on his work bench.

"Yea, I accidentally walked through my screen door again." Sure she did, Jacob sighed and smiled kindly at her.

"I can fix it today if you want." He offered, Samantha smiled widely.

"Great!" She squealed which made Jacob's ears ring.

"So." She continued looking innocent. "I hear your girlfriend came back early."

"Yea, she did." God, Jacob hated where this was going.

"Don't you think it's weird? I mean, my boyfriend came back from the jersey shore early and it turns out he came back because he cheated on me and felt guilty."

"You think Bella cheated on me?" That wasn't it, something happened in Jacksonville for sure, but Bella wasn't the type who cheated. He wouldn't be so arrogant and say that Bella would never cheat on him, it just wasn't in her make up.

Samantha shrugged innocently. "I don't think anything."

No truer words have ever been uttered Jacob thought as he went back to work. Samantha lingered idly, flaunting her legs at him until he walked to her house and fixed the screen door again. He checked in with the pack and endured heavy ridicule from damn near all of them. Damn telepathic connection. But honestly Jacob wasn't embarrassed at all and he tried to act like he didn't see Emily and Angela hide the plans for his birthday party? Didn't they know it was useless to try to whisper around a werewolf? Was Bella helping them plan it? Did she even know it was his birthday? After leaving Emily's house Jacob walked up to the Ephraim house to work on the yard. Ever since he had first brought Bella here the garden had all but erupted. Nearly all of the plants and vegetables he could identify, leeks, peppers, tomatoes and numerous herbs. The only flower he couldn't identify was a yellow one that grew around the house like a barrier. Jacob was busy pulling weeds when he became instantly aware of an others presence. It was his great-uncle Joesph, who was the only person who could sneak up on him or any werewolf for that matter, was sitting idly on the large houses back porch watching him with intelligent eyes.

"Hello nephew." He greeted, Jacob stood and walked up to the old man.

"Hey Uncle Joesph," Jacob replied. "What are you doing here?"

Joesph inhaled and instead of answering he looked up at the house.

"Do you know what Ephraim Black built this house?" He asked, Jacob shook his head. "For his fiance, she was a white woman, unaccustomed to the harsh winters so Ephraim worked on this house through the fall, even though he wasn't much older than you are now."

Jacob thought about it a moment and remembered that Ephraim Black didn't marry a white woman.

"What happened to her?" He asked, curious.

"Poor thing didn't make it through her first winter here. Ephraim was belong heart broken but he eventually married a girl from the tribe." Joesph explained and Jacob winced. Could he do that? If anything happened to Bella could he ever love or even be with another person? No, he couldn't. The very idea of that made him both angry and scared to death.

"I could never do that," Jacob admitted. "If something happened to Bella I would completely lose it."

Joesph smiled. "Ah, the precocious little Bella Swan, everything it finally happening the way it was meant to."

What the hell did that mean? Jacob wanted to ask but knew it was useless due to his great-uncles notorious crypticness. Under the watchful eye of his uncle, Jacob continued to work on the yard. They discuss a hypothetical situation if someone would fix up the house, what would they need and how much it would cost...hypothetically of course and Jacob was getting the message Joesph was sending him. They walked back to the old mans small, modest home and Jacob sat at the kitchen table while Joesph prepare dinner for them. Joesph Redwolf wasn't the oldest member of their tribe, far from it actually, but he had a deep connection to the earth that earned him a lot of respect.

"What are your intentions with little Bella Swan?" He asked out of nowhere causing Jacob to choke on his iced tea.

"Um." God. How as he supposed to answer that question? "My intentions are honest." Lame.

Joesph laughed as he placed a serving dish of spaghetti on the table and went to the cabinets to get two plates.

"She reminds me of her grandmother." Joesph told him while Jacob dug into the food. "In fact." Joesph left the kitchen only to return with a framed old photograph of who looked like an young Joesph Redwolf and a slightly altered Bella.

"That's me and Olive, oops, Olivia at the first Spring Festival." Joesph explained.

"So you and her were a thing?" Jacob asked.

"Yes, a lifetime ago." Joesph told him with a sad gleam in his eyes, then the gleam brightened. "We still keep in touch and see one another from time to time."

"She does look like Bella." Jacob observed, Joesph nodded in agreement.

"Yes, and I hear they share more than just looks."

Jacob looked at the old man sharply. Did he know what Bella was? Was her grandmother the same thing? Bella had told him she came back early to talk to her grandmother. Did Bella know what she was? If she did why didn't she tell him? Jacob had a plethora of questions for his secretive mate. He and Joesph ate in silence until Jacob announced he had to leave. Joesph, knowing about the who werewolf thing, understood. Jacob made mental notes of what needed fixing in Joesph's house before he left. Shirking off his clothes, Jacob shifted into wolf form and took off to patrol. Neither he or any of the other members of the pack had seen or really scented a vampire in weeks. They caught faint traces of the leech around town but not enough to alarm them. He saw Embry patrolling along with him and Paul soon after and the evening went as usual all the while he was thinking too hard about Bella. If she knew what she was why didn't she tell him last night? Didn't she trust him? Had someone given her a reason not to trust him? Was she afraid of his pack? Didn't she know his first priority like the rest of his pack was to her, his imprint? After what happened last night how could she not trust him? He tried to think of other reasons, like maybe it slipped her mind or she still wasn't sure and even at the notion passed through his mind he knew it was a long shot. Mid-thought, Jacob froze his nose picking up on blood. Bella's blood.

Jacob shot off in the direction the smell was coming from. He followed the scent to the Swan's doorstep and was overcome with the smell of a vampire on the land. Had Daxton finally gotten to Bella? Had she simply cut herself or hit her head, not a completely unbelievable thing. Or, his mind went to the worst, had she learned what she was and decided she couldn't handle it? Charlie wasn't home so Jacob shifted back to human and jumped through Bella's always open bedroom window.

She was standing in her living room waiting for him, unphased by his lack of clothing. There was definitely a vampire here and Bella had an needle in her arm leading to a medical bag filling up with her blood.

"Calm down." She ordered, Jacob saw red and began shaking. "Jacob!"

"Where is it?" He asked, referring to the vampire. He turned and saw Dr. Carlisle Cullen walk from Bella's kitchen.

"Hello Jacob." He greeted kindly although he knew the dangerous situation he was in, Jacob snarled at the blonde vampire.

"Jacob!" Bella snapped again and brought his attention back to her. "I asked him to come here."

"Why?" He asked not looking away from the vampire. "So he can harvest your blood?"

"No, my-" Bella staggered a bit and Jacob moved to catch her to sit her back on the couch. Carlisle checked the bag and then gently removed the needle from Bella's arm. After he put a bandage over the small pin prick Carlisle handed her a bottle of carrot juice and two tablets.

"Iron supplements." He explained mostly for Jacob's benefit and stood up. "I'll leave you two to talk." Placing the bag of blood in a medical transport cooler, Carlisle then left the house. Jacob looked at the paler than usual Bella and though he wanted to shake the sense into her he refrained. In her right hand she held a note pad scribbled with writing and Jacob took it from her weak grip. The scribbles were notes like _Influences the growth of plants_, _Beams of light appears in dangerous situations, Easy to understand languages, _and _Can't be turned into a vampire._ She was writing information about herself?

"What the hell is going on?" He demanded, Bella looked weary but she answered him anyway.

"I know what I am." She told him, Jacob froze.

"Why didn't you tell me?" He asked, Bella shrugged.

"I didn't know how you or the pack would react." She admitted then explained further. "Someone, told me that you all don't like something you don't understand and from what I already knew it was spot on."

"You think we would attack you?" He snapped. "You think _I_ would attack you?"

"I'd figured you'd be pissed when you found out what else I discovered." Jacob felt a shiver go through him at her ominous tone.

She told him, she told him everything. From her being a welsh fairy to them being linked together or (as she so elegantly put it) shoved down each others throats. She told him she wanted to see if her blood could turn a vampire back into human which was why she called Carlisle to take a couple pints a week to get the amount of blood apparently needed. When Jacob inquired to why she asked Carlisle she gave him a pointed look and explained that she couldn't exactly go into the hospital and ask now could she?

"I don't like this." He told her gruffly as she drank her carrot juice, slowly regaining some color in her cheeks.

"I didn't think you would." She stated dryly, Jacob frowned at her cold tone towards her.

"Is there anything else you haven't told me?" She froze, Jacob's heart broke a bit when he realized she was preparing to give him another lie.

"Yes." Bella's honesty actually shocked him. "But I can't tell you tonight, it's too complicated and Charlie will be home soon."

She was dismissing him, again. Jacob growled animalistically and Bella softened up and stood.

"Let's get you some clothes." She recommended, gesturing to his nakedness and walked up the stairs to her room. Whenever he shifted and hoped through her bedroom window he was always naked so he kept a spare change of clothing here. After slipping on his shorts and tee-shirt, Bella took his hand in hers and led him out of her house. She liked walking in the woods when something was on her mind and she hadn't been able to do it since the pack first shifted. Something was really wrong, she was definitely worried or down right scared of something and the fact she wouldn't tell Jacob was driving him crazy. They walked and walked until they hit the beach, the spot most loved by her and they sat in the sand.

"If you could go anywhere in the world, where would you go?" She asked after what seemed like an eternity of silence.

"Anywhere, as long as I'm with you." He told her. "Where would you go?"

Bella smiled. "Somewhere warm and sunny, not Phoenix, maybe California." She turned to look up at him. "You know, when my mom first left my dad we lived in Riverside, it's wasn't near the beach and was a while drive away from Lake Mathews but it was only a few hours from Huntington beach. I don't remember much about it, but I remember the sun and the breezes."

She looked so relaxed, sounded so helpless as of she were telling her own life story, it was so uncommon that it actually worried him. Jacob wrapped his arms around her and tried to tell himself she wasn't thinking clearly. That it was the recent blood loss that made her speak like this but there was something else. She was planning something. She was planning something big and she wasn't going to tell him willingly. But he'd be damned if he found out the hard way.

**Authors Note: I know I haven't been posting at a regular rate but I'm in the middle of moving. (Review Review Review!)**


	25. Chapter 25: A Brake from Pressure

Disclaimer: I Don't Own Twilight.

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Her first few days of work were pretty hectic, between the activities, the squealing kids, and preparing the food Bella had decided she wasn't having children anytime in the near future. She patched small scraps and boo-boos and broke up little scuffles and unglued more hands than she ever thought she would. Today was a nature walk day and she, Katie, and Tammy had the kids out berry picking on the forest trail. Bella didn't partake in the activity and instead was focused on a little boy and girl in her group. The boy had black, spiky hair that matched against his tan skin while the girl had pale skin and flaming red hair, the pair actually reminded Bella of the pictures Charlie had of her and Jacob. The boy, Jason, kept sneaking glances at the girl, Lily, who was all but oblivious to him until he would occasionally pull her away from the thorn bushes. The scene picked at something in her memory and Bella moved her hand to her back in a unconscious move. She didn't remember much of her life or summers in Forks, it was like when she went away so did her memories. Other than work, she and Jacob had come to an agreement which entailed that when Carlisle came to town to take a pint of blood from her, Jacob would be in the room in case Carlisle 'went all evil and attacked' her. She couldn't ever see Carlisle out of control, but she couldn't see Jacob out of control although in the right circumstances both were possible. Bella had also been more determined to get her powers under control to the point of meditating and manipulating water droplet mid air. She would either meditate on her back porch or in a spot in the woods. Jacob was there, she was getting better at sensing him because she was using the 'listening to the wind' trick. Since she had also told him about Chandler, well she didn't tell him everything about Chandler. She told him the basics-Chandler was a Dark Fae who was after the Tuatha Dé Danann text but she decided not to tell Jacob about Chandler wanting her to bear his 'pure' fae children.

Bella was snapped from her thoughts when she heard a shuffle and thud. Lily had apparently tripped and lands back against a tree, Jason's hand was between her head and the tree and Bella realized he placed it there on purpose. While Lily righted herself Bella checked Jason's hand, but he pulled it away saying that he was alright. Recognizing the macho need to seem unbreakable in front of a girl, Bella nodded and watched him closely until they walked back to the day camp building.

"You were very brave." Bella told Jason as she rubbed pain relieving ointment on his otherwise uninjured hand, Jason shrugged.

"She's just so clumsy," Jason defended himself. "If I wasn't around she'd probably die of klutziness."

"Hey!" Bella snapped playfully. "Some guys think clumsiness is cute in a girl."

"Not on her." Jason insisted though he was blushing. Bella released his hand just as Lily approached them holding two juice cartons.

"Here Jason." She said in a squeaky voice and handed him a carton. "Thanks for not letting me hit my head."

Jason opened his carton and before he took a drink he noticed Lily struggling to open hers. Putting his juice on the table Jason all but snatched hers away before he easily opened it and handed it back to her.

Lily smiled at him again. "Thanks." Jason simply gave Bella a 'See? I told you' look all the while Bella chuckled.

The rest of the day went as usual, Bella, Katie, and Tammy checked the collected berries for bugs and rotted berries before they allowed the children to rinse them and snack before the bus came to take them home. Lily's mom was a homemaker so Lily stayed after the bus left and (not surprisingly) Jason stayed until her mom came. Jason lived so close to the camp that he walked home, given the fact the day camp ended earlier then even school. He liked to stay and either help or watch them clean up. Bella looked up from the now clean crafts table and didn't see Jason lingering, moving quickly she found him outside talking to Jacob so she finished up and clocked out. When she went back outside she saw Jason punching Jacob's palm and rolled her eyes, what's with guys and fighting?

"I didn't know you two were acquainted." Bella stated and both lowered their arms.

"I used to babysit this little guy." Jacob said proudly and ruffled Jason's hair. "He's all grown now, and got himself a girlfriend."

"Lily Daniels is _not_ my girlfriend!" Jason insisted. "She's just a klutz that I have to look after."

"That's exactly what girlfriends are." Bella punched Jacob lightly in the arm at his playful, yet somewhat true, remark. Jacob and Bella walked Jason back to his house before they turned around and headed back to Bella's truck. After they hoped in, Jacob in the drivers seat, he turned to her.

"How was work today dear?" Jacob asked somewhat sarcastically, Bella chuckled.

"It was fine dear, we went berry picking." She told him. "And your day?"

"Great, got a major pay off from fixing Uncle Joesph's porch steps." Jacob informed her.

"Cool."

" Yep, now I get a kiss now?" He asked lightly, Bella leaned forward and gave him a peck on the lips. The peck turned into a heated kiss when Jacob dove his fingers in her long hair and pulled her in closer. His tongue traced her lips demanding an entrance that she gave. With a free hand Jacob gripped her waist and pulled Bella over him so that she was straddling his lap. After a few minutes of heavy petting, Jacob pulled away and cupped her face gently. Bella looked at him in slight confusion because she could feel how hard he was. She could feel him pressing against her hot core and she knew he could also smell how hot she was.

"Sometimes you remind me of those huge, colorful flowers in the jungle. The closer you get to it you realize it's not a flower at all and when you finally touch it, it's a thousand little butterflies that all flutter away." His thumb traced her cheek lovingly. "You're so beautiful, sometimes I'm afraid to touch you because you may flutter away in a million pieces."

Bella's heart clenched at the raw emotion in his voice. How could he talk about her that way while she couldn't form the words to describe him? Bella quickly withdrew her camera from her bag and snapped a photo of his face, washed with the same emotion in his voice. She smiled at the thought that if someone found all the pictures she had of Jacob they would think she was a stalker.

"What if I did break apart?" She asked him lightly, Jacob looked at her sharply.

"I'd pick up every piece." He told her adamantly and kissed her lips lightly.

Bella suddenly remembered she was was still straddling him so she put down her camera and decided to do an experiment. She placed her pale fingers against his tan face and closed her eyes to enhance her sense of touch. Jacob went still beneath her touch as she started to blindly trace his body. Silky hair that was a but spiky on top, a masculine (though not too protruding) brow bone, high cheek bones that gave away his race, and soft lips covering those perfect white teeth that nipped at her finger tips playfully. Bella grasp his hands next, feeling the callouses from working with his hands. Her hands trailed up his muscled forearms and biceps, his wide, firm shoulders. It possible, Jacob grew harder beneath her as she traced his broad chest muscles, down his wash board abs, and stopped at his lean waist. In her mind, Bella painted a picture of Jacob. Of his warmth, and kindness, of his common gentleness towards her that she loved and the rare moments of animal lust that she craved. Her eyes snapped open when Jacob took her hand and moved it to the noticeable bulge in his lap.

"Told you it was a Bella thing." He reminded her in a husky voice.

* * *

><p>Sitting by the tide pool, Bella snapped a few photo's of her surroundings. Another bonfire on the beach, a common place during a Fork's summer and La Push was littered with teens. Angela was snuggling up to Embry as usual and Jared was flirting up the locals. Sam pulled Jacob away from Bella to patrol this evening with Paul. She was sitting off alone, with a wrap slung around her shoulders in a blatant 'don't come near me' gesture. Lowering the camera, Bella looked back at the tide pool as she tried to remember a trick for healing that was listed in the Tuatha Dé Danann text.<p>

"Jared, come here." She said in a low toned voice, knowing his keen hearing would pick up her words. Jared kissed the cheek of the red head he was flirting with before he walked over to her with a cocky grin.

"What's up fairy princess?" He asked and Bella rolled her eyes at the now usual greeting.

"I need your pocket knife." She told him, knowing that guys like Jared liked to whittle and always carried a sharp pocket knife around.

"Why?" Jared asked instantly weary, Bella shrugged innocently.

"Just cause." She told him, Jared withdrew his bone handled pocket knife and handed it to her. Moving quickly, Bella cut her forearm before Jared could snatch the knife back from her.

"What the hell did you do that for!" He snapped, taking her arm in his hand. Bella pulled back and lowered her fingertips into the tide pool and watched as water raced up her arm, over the cut, and then watched the wound seal up and not even leave a scar.

Jared whistled. "Cute trick, fairy princess."

Bella laughed then gripped her head as a wave of vertigo nearly scent her falling on her back. Jared caught her quickly and had to literally hold her up. After a few moments he propped her back against a rock and the look on his face told Bella what he was doing.

"Don't tell Jacob," She ordered. "It's not that big of a deal."

"You look like you're about to pass out." Jared insisted, Bella shook her head.

"Apparently, healing myself takes even more out of me than healing others." Jared looked at her sharply as understanding crossed his face.

"You weren't sure you could heal yourself!" He snapped. "Jake is gonna kill me."

"For what? Letting his girlfriend mutilate and then heal herself?" Bella asked dryly.

"Yes!"

"Just calm down." She demanded as she felt her strength return slowly, Jared sighed and relaxed.

A thought popped into her mind. "Do you think there are werewolves in Phoenix?"

He shrugged. "I honestly thought the Quiluetes were the only ones until you told us that the vampire bitch was hunting us down. Why?"

"The books I have says that Tylwyth Teg are always protected by wolves or some other creature, but I was in Phoenix for almost ten years so either the book is wrong or-"

"Or there are werewolves in Pheonix." Jared finished for her and then shrugged. "You think too much."

Bella laughed. "I've been told that." Then she frowned deeply. "I don't like that Daxton hasn't made a move yet."

"Hey." Jared wrapped his arm around her shoulders in a brotherly way. "You don't need to worry about that, we'll kill the bastard when he surfaces and until then don't jinx it."

"Okay." She agreed and laid her head on his shoulder until she felt the familiar warm feeling of Jacob approaching. Sure enough, wearing only a pair of short he no doubt dragged on in haste after Jared had ratted her out like a six year old.

"Step off my girlfriend loser." Jacob said grasping Jared shoulders and all but threw him away from Bella, who laughed as Jared straightened and walked back to the awaiting red head. Jacob took Bella arms in his hands and inspected them closely before he sat in Jared's former spot.

"Do I have to give you a list of things not to do to yourself?" He demanded as Bella stared at him with a simple expression of interest.

"Like," He continued. "Don't slit your wrist just to see if you can heal yourself, better yet don't slit your wrist at all. Don't run away, don't walk on ice...do I need to continue?"

"Okay 1.) I didn't slit my wrist, I cut my arm. 2.) I don't think of running away anymore I just think of being somewhere else and most of the time I think about being somewhere else with _you_ and 3.) I'm not trained to walk on ice, I'm not a bloody penguin." She defended herself weakly, Jacob growled.

"Can you stand yet?" He asked, Bella shook her head. "No more healing."

"Not gonna happen." She protested.

"Bella-"

"No," She interrupted. "I'm not going to be on the sidelines in this and if you try to put me there, you won't like my retaliation." The retaliation would be the same plan she's had in her head for weeks. Bella couldn't initiate her plan as of yet and hand to wait until Carlisle had collected all eight pints of her blood. They haven't decided which of the Cullen's would be a guinea pig for the whole 'May Be Human' experiment. They didn't want to risk trying it on Jasper because if it didn't work he could go into a rampage. Edwards and Alice's powers were too valuable and Esme didn't want to be human without Carlisle who knew he could do more good as a vampire than a human. It basically came down to Rosalie and Emmett and Bella knew how much Rosalie wanted a simple, human life with her husband.

Jacob smiled teasingly. "I'd _love_ to see your retaliation." As if she would use sex as punishment.

"Does everything come down to sex?" She asked before mentally adding _"the sex we're not having?"_

"When it has to do with you." He told her, Jacob then cupped her face in his hand and kissed her softly. They sat in silence until Bella felt better and rose to look at the evening sky. Bella snapped a few photo's of the pinkish orange sky before Jacob walked her to her truck.

"Want a ride home?" She asked, Jacob shook his head.

"I still have to finish patrol." Bella raised a brow when Jacob leaned closer to her truck and sniffed like a dog.

"What are you doing?" She asked, looking around to see if anyone else saw Jacob's antics. With a confused look he straightened up and shrugged.

"I guess it's nothing." He said and opened her drivers side door for her, Bella slid into the seat and Jacob closed the door softly before he leaned in for a kiss that Bella gave willingly. She smiled and waved goodbye to Jacob and her class mates before she pulled away from the beach. Their was a feeling in her gut, something that unnerved her but Bella attributed it to Jacob's odd actions before she left.

Halfway home, Bella noticed the darkening of the road so she decided to slow down. Her foot eased off the accelerator and lightly pressed on the brake, only to be met with deep weight. Instantly panicking, Bella kicked down at the brake roughly but nothing happened. Her heart sped up at town came in her view and Bella told herself she wasn't going to let someone get hurt so she turned to the grassy side of the road hoping the turf would slow her down. The sharp turn sped up her truck and Bella felt the impact of a front end collision before darkness over took her.

**Authors Note: Who screwed with Bella's truck? Daxton? A jealous classmate or rival? Maybe one of the pack? **


	26. Chapter 26: Jacob's Birthday

Disclaimer: I do not own Twilight.

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"This is getting ridiculous." Bella grumbled as she lay in a hospital bed on oxygen and a drip attached to arm.

"Deal with it." Charlie stated simply from the corner chair.

"You hit your head, could have a brain bleed and you may have fractured your sternum and even a couple ribs, bleeds and fractures can lead to infection which can lead to a fever that causes your death." Jacob recited from her bedside, Bella glared at him.

"No one likes a smart ass." She told him, causing a smile to come across his face.

"I do." Charlie interjected and smiled as well. "And you need to be a bit more grateful. hell, if weren't for Jacob you wouldn't have gotten here so fast."

* * *

><p><em>Pain, throbbing pain coming from her...everywhere. She reached and felt broken glass, she moved but was pinned down by something. The side of her face felt like it had gotten splashed with warm water but when she touched it the water was red and thick. <em>

_Blood. Why am I bleeding? _

_Of that's right, Bella finally remembered, My brakes didn't work._

_She jumped as her drivers side door was all but ripped open. Warm hands reached over and gently, frantically, check her head and hands moved to her side and Bella heard a 'click' before her pinned down body was suddenly released. _

_Seat belt, She remembered._

_"Bella?" It was Jacob, the warm hands were Jacob's, she knew that although everything was still hazy. "Bella stay awake, do you hear me? Stay awake."_

_The trees looked blurry. Was that from her? The wind hit her face harshly and she realized Jacob was running with her in his arms. He was worried, he was in a panic, and he was mad._

* * *

><p>"I wasn't bleeding internally, I have a small concussion that'll be fine by tomorrow so don't go giving Jacob a bloody metal." Bella snapped lightly, earning a laugh from the two most important guys in her life. Charlies deputy, Sherman Mitchell, knocked lightly on the door frame and held up a file. Charlie stood up and walked out of the room with the younger man.<p>

"Did Charlie ask how you managed to carry me all the way here?" Bella asked at the thought popped into her head.

"No." Jacob replied shaking his head. "I think your dad knows more than he's letting on."

"Duh, all he did as a kid and teen was hang out on the reservation with your dad and he's the bloody chief of police so he's supposed to be observant." Bella pointed out.

Jacob smiled. "You know when you're not paying attention you say the 'bloody' a lot."

"Shut up."

The next day, Bella studied herself in the hospitals bathroom mirror. With her usual bathroom supplies (supplied by Angela) Bella showered, washed the dried blood from her hair, and brushed her teeth. She used the small hair dryer to unfrizz her dark hair and pulled it back on the only side of her face not marred by bruises and her newest wound. The dressed was a soft red sundress that Emily had picked out and Bella liked it because it matched her red cowboy boots. After all but begging Charlie to release her early, Bella told Angela to make sure everything was still on. Angela asked Bella if she was sure she didn't want to postpone the party and Bella pointed out you can't postpone a birthday party on a Friday. Charlie asked too, referencing that Bella could 'find trouble in an empty milk cartoon.' But today was about Jacob, and he deserved a day where he didn't have to look after her. Plus, Bella was tired of everyone treating her like spun glass. With the make up, Bella had managed to at most soften the look of the bruises on her face but she couldn't do anything about the stitched up cut on her forehead.

Looking at the bruise on her head reminded Bella of the first day she had driven the motorcycle. It seemed like a lifetime ago when in fact it had only been a few months. Jesus, how much they both had changed. Bella didn't have panic attacks anymore, her sleep patterns were somewhat regular, and she was was in love. Jacob's appearance was the more drastic change, he changed and from that changed he managed to return to his old, fun loving Jacob and handle the intensely, hot, werewolf Jacob. Bella's relationship with Charlie had gone from a distant-uncle-you-only-see-at-reunions relationship to a basic shot gun-packing-father-to-a-dating-teenage-girl relationship. Though it would be a bit more fun if Charlie didn't view Jacob as a goddamn savior.

Angela left a good thirty minutes before Jacob arrived to pick her up in the Rabbit. He didn't like that she was leaving the hospital early but he took in her gussied up appearance with appreciative eyes. It was close to dinner so it wasn't suspicious when she suggested they go to the grille. Something told her that he knew what was coming, but Jacob had the decency to look surprised when the group waiting screamed.

"Happy Birthday!"

The rest of the evening went swell. Jacob was bombarded with friends, family, food and gifts. Rachel, who was in town for the summer, was here and what surprised Bella was the appearance of Jacob's other sister Rebecca who came alone because summer was big surf season for her husband. Bella didn't know who got Jacob nun-chucks but she also didn't know Jacob knew how to use them until he gave a rather impressive demonstration. Luckily, even with the pack there every got a share of food. Bella was off to the side talking to Rachel and Rebecca when she saw, from the corner of her eye, Samantha Stone sashay over to Jacob and personally handed him a beautifully wrapped gift.

"Figured she show." Rachel stated as the two tall sisters followed Bella's line of vision. "I swear ever since Jacob said you both start fixing up the bikes she's been on him like white on rice."

"Really?" Bella questioned.

"You okay with that rubbing up on Jake?" Rebecca asked, Bella shrugged nonchalantly.

"I trust him." And she did, when it came to other females hitting on him.

Rebecca shook her head. "It's not him you worry about, it's _them_, they think he's a free dick." Bella's eyes widened as the young woman's words about her brother. "Go straighten the bitch out."

"What like hit her?" Bella asked, the sisters nodded. "I've a girl over a boy in my life."

"Not true," Rachel interjected. "You already hit Samantha when you were five and she and Jake were four, you were both playing and Samantha tried to pull Jacob away so you hit her with a doll."

"I did?" Bella asked, the sisters nodded and Bella watched as Jacob unsuccessfully tried to brush Samantha odd. Bella had very Angela-like idea and smiled before excusing herself from Jacob's sisters. After walking to Jacob, Bella without warning leaned up and planted her lips on his. Whistles and cat calls went up as Jacob wrapped his arms around her waist and lifted her up until her feet dangled from the ground. When they finally broke apart Samantha was gone and Charlie was in her place.

"Nice lip gloss there Jacob." He said dryly. "Can I borrow my daughter for a few moments?"

"Yes sir." Jacob answered quickly and Bella liked the fact he had the common sense to be intimidating by his girlfriends father.

"What's up?" She asked when Jacob went to get a slice of one of the many cakes on the dessert table.

"The brake line to your truck was definitely cut." Charlie told her and Bella froze.

"Do you know who did it?" She asked, praying that over the noise of the grille Jacob's keen hearing didn't pick up the conversation.

Charlie shook his head. "No, no fingerprints at all. I think, to be safe, you should head back to your moms for the rest of the summer." Bella couldn't tell who was speaking to her, the logical cop talking to the stalking victim or the protective father who didn't want his only child hurt at all.

"If I run each time something bad either could happen to me or did happen to me i'd be running the rest of my life. My truck is just as well known as your police car so if someone wanted to hurt me using it it's pretty easy to get to. I am not going away on the chance my stalker is back for all I know it's a classmate with a grudge." Although it probably was Daxton who screwed with her brakes, it was a very obsessive stalker thing to do and Bella had to remind herself sometimes that Daxton was stalker first and vampire second.

"Bells, when a classmate bully's another they start rumors or bully on that Facebook thing." Charlie reminded her, true, bullying has gotten pretty lame because of all the technology available to people.

"Everyone knows I don't pay attention to rumors nor do I have a Facebook so the truck is the next available option. Plus, they know if they unlawfully entered our house both of us would have the legal right to blast them full of buck shots."

Charlie looked at his daughter with a proud expression on his face. "'Atta girl."

After Charlie went to join Billy and a fortunately less mournful Sue, Bella walked over to where Jacob was sitting down and was pulled into her open lap.

"What did Charlie want?" He asked. Good, he didn't them so no use worrying him on his birthday.

"Safe sex talk," She laughed at his horrified expression. "So, what did Samantha Stone give you?" She all but spat out the name.

"A watch." He informed her with a wince.

"Why? So you can count the minutes until you see her again?" She asked sarcastically, Jacob smiled.

"You're so cute when you're jealous." He told her and covered her lips with his.

"Well," He said breaking the kiss. "While you were being adorably jealous I realize that until your birthday, we have overcome the only social stigma of our relationship."

"I wasn't aware out relationship had any sort of stigma." Bella questioned.

"Well the only one we needed to overcome was the fact yours technically a year older than I am, although given your general lack of know-how I'm year ahead of you, it made you look a bit like a cougar-"

"Says the guy who suggested I date a younger guy." She cut in, Jacob smiled.

"I needed to get you in to the dating mindset somehow," He told her. "Anyway, another stigma that doesn't count anymore is the fact I'm Quiluete and you're white but know that everyone knows the benefits of genetic diversity it's pretty much the norm to have an interracial couple."

"Huh." Bella thought a moment. "Does interracial roll over to the whole werewolf-faerie thing?"

"Sure does," Jacob said happily. "And it's our duty to put any doubts to rest."

"For the other Quiluete-white and werewolf-faerie couples in the world?" She questioned with a raised brow and smile on her face.

"Yes, and I also found a way to improve views on such relationships." He told her with a mischievous grin.

Bella groaned sarcastically. "I'm scared to ask but what is your idea?"

"We get married and start a family." Bella rolled her eyes at his mockingly serious expression.

"Lamest proposal in history and why does everyone want me to be a breeding mare?" She said before she stop herself, Jacob's eyes hardened a bit.

"Who else asked you to start a family?" He asked carefully, Bella thought of something else to say.

"You know that the modern term family comes from the Latin word _famulus_ which means servant. In Arabia at the Mohammad, the word for marriage was _nikah_ which literally meant sexual intercourse. In the Koran, it was also used to mean contract. Marriage was conceived of as a contract for sexual intercourse." Good, hiding behind random facts was a sure fire way to distract him from the whole 'breeding mare' statement.

"Interesting," He stated dryly. "Who asked to have their kids?"

"So my thought is that we skip the marriage bit and move onto the sex." _That_ definitely got his attention off her statement.

"I wasn't suggesting we get married before he have sex, I can damn right guarantee neither of us could wait that long but I'm still the marrying type." He informed her. "My parents met when they were seventeen at a party and the next day they were planning a wedding."

"Your family's track record is great, not mine. My dad's still pinning after my man-eating mother who, after leaving my dad, went through a plethora of men including a shady lock-smith, an even shadier mechanic, a car dealer, a weapons expert, an assistant district attorney, and a bartender before settling on my stepfather who's a minor league ball player. It's also a well known fact my grandmother married my grandfather for his money and a lesser known rumor that she killed him." She tapped his nose lightly. "So you'll simply have to deal with the stigma of hot, wild, unmarried sex."

"Well, if i have to." He mock whined, Bella smiled in victory until he added. "For now."

"Good, so shall we now retire to your house to engages in sexual intercourse?" She asked, knowing she sounded like an emotionless robot.

"Well, when you say it say is with such passion." Jacob cupped her face and kissed her soundly. Before the kiss could lead to anything else, Jacob's hand accidentally brushed the cut on her head causing Bella to hiss in pain.

"Sorry." He apologized quickly.

"It's fine." She said just as quickly, Jacob pushed her hair back from the make up covered bruised side of her face.

"Just another scar to add to the collection." She joked bitterly, Jacob traced the scar on her neck before kissing it softly.

"I like your scars, they remind me how strong you are." He commented.

"And how easily damaged," She pointed out. He smiled as an idea popped into her head.

"Maybe we should get you another tattoo," He suggested. "Get a big FRAGILE tattooed on your head."

Bella laughed.

* * *

><p>It was well passed midnight before Bella finally got home. The party had gone better than she anticipated, granted they had eventually ran out of food. The adults had left between nine and ten and them someone managed to bring in some of the basics, Jack, Johnny, Jose, and Jim. Bella figured it was Leah's bartendering boyfriend who just wanted everyone to have a good time. While werewolves may metabolize liquor fast, Bella didn't and was considerably smashed when Jacob carried her bridal style to his Rabbit. She was an apparent giggler when she was toasted. Jacob kept chuckling as he threw her side glances. She also shamefully tried to get him to take her to the Ephraim house to 'consummate they're relationship' but he took a rain check. Charlie was in a deep sleep when Jacob carried Bella up the stairs to her bedroom and laid her on the bed. As she made suggestive glances at him, Jacob gently took off her cowboy boots and dress. Before he could slip on a sleep shirt, Bella had wrapped herself up in a cocoon of her covers and refused to budge. She whined when he left, she really wanted to see the look on his face when he got home and found the gift she had given him. Anyone else would think tires would be a strange gift but Jacob would love them.<p>

"Bella." Another voice, another person, god she was too hammered for this. "Bella."

"Go away." She grumbled, then her half laden eyes shot open as she recognized the voice.

"Get the hell out of my room Chandler." She demanded without leaving her cocoon.

She heard him laugh. "I'm technically not here so I'm within my rights."

"If you want to try to find or bribe the book from me, you can get lost, and if you're going to try to convince me to spawn your demon seed you can get bent." She snapped. "Now get out before I have my boyfriend kick your astral ass."

"Aren't you at all curious how I can project to you?" He asked arrogantly.

"I'm too drunk to currently care." She admitted honestly, Chandler laughed.

"That's fine, I always just pop into your dreams." He taunted. "Goodnight Isabella."

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**Authors Note: Thanks for all of you who put my story on your Favorites list and for all of the reviews, Keep them coming.**


	27. Chapter 27: Date Night, Full Moon

Disclaimer: I do not own Twilight.

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Bella awoke to two things, the smell of coffee and a pounding headache from hell. Opening her eyes she was met with complete darkness until she realized that it was her blanket. Soft lips kissed her cheek as soon as she emerged from her cocoon.

"Thank you for my present," Came Jacob's husky voice. "I honestly never got tires from anyone before and I love them."

Bella groaned and sat up against her headboard as she eyed the coffee mug in Jacob's hand. He was fully dressed which most likely meant Charlie let him in the house. It wasn't until she touched her stomach and felt skin that she realized she was only in her bra and panties and pulled the sheet up to cover herself.

"Coffee." She groaned out, causing him to smile. Instead of handing over the sinful smelling cup, Jacob handed her the glass of water he had in his other hand before gesturing to the two pills resting on her nightstand.

"You're dehydrated and more than likely have a headache from drinking. Water and aspirin first, then coffee." He told her sternly, Bella glared at him as she rubbed the sleep from her eyes.

"You are pure evil." She snapped and tossed back the pills before following them up with water. "Open the window for me please."

"It's raining." Jacob told her as he handed her the steaming cup of coffee.

"I know."

Chuckling to himself, Jacob walked over to the small window and opened it. Bella inhaled as the fresh, wet air wafted into her bedroom. While she sipped her morning brew Jacob sat on the bed next to her just looking at her. It should unnerve her, how he stared at her like she was prey, like he was the predator circling a long awaited treat. There was something else, picking at the shores of her near memory...Chandler. He was here? Sort of. Or was he? Had she been dreaming the night before when he popped into her room? Ugh, headache.

"Charlie told me you're brake line was cut," Jacob said breaking the sounds of the rain drops. "Why didn't you tell me?"

Bella looked innocent. "Because it was your birthday, I didn't want to worry you over something that may be nothing."

"Cut brake lines aren't nothing Bella." He scolded, Bella nodded.

"Yea but it doesn't mean that it would require werewolf Jacob to kill something for me." She defended.

"It may require boyfriend Jacob to hurt someone though." He reminded her, Bella stared at him blankly.

"It doesn't matter know, what matter is if you had a good time at your party." She questioned, Jacob smiled a bit and nodded.

"Best party ever." He told her and kissed her lips softly before pulling back and propping himself up on one elbow. "I like seeing you wake up, I like seeing you sleep. You look so innocent and helpless it makes me want to protect you even more than usual."

"That must me a lot then." She commented with a smile and finished her coffee.

"So what are your plans for today?" He asked while trailing a finger up and down her arm, sending tingles down her spine.

"Nothing, maybe take some photos." She answered him. "You?"

"I'm putting the new tires on my car." He told her. "How are you going to get around until I can get my hands on your truck?"

Bella shrugged. "I think my moms old bike is still in the basement so I'll just walk around till the rain stops and use that to head to the beach."

"Good plan," Jacob commented. "Wanna stop by my house when your done? I can make you dinner then drive you home."

"You can cook?" Bella asked with a suspicious glance, Jacob nodded.

"Of course I can cook, my dad all but went on strike after I shifted and starting emptying the fridge each day." He joked, Bella laughed with him. "So what do you say?"

"I say let me sleep off this headache and do what i need to do and I'll be over at sunset." She vowed.

"It's a date." He told her before kissing her one last time and leaving her to finish her coffee alone.

After she finished her coffee, Bella took a much needed shower and brushed her teeth. She knew that as much as she wanted to she wouldn't get back to sleep when she was too preoccupied with the idea of dinner with Jacob. They'd eaten together before, before they'd never been on a real date. Did this qualify as a date? He had said it's a date but guys always say things like that. Sometimes Bella was confused to when she should treat Jacob like every other guy and when she should treat him like a werewolf...how ever the hell you treat a werewolf. Dressed a pair of green cargo pants and a hooded wind breaker, Bella attached the waterproof slip on attachment to her camera and told Charlie she'd be back in a while.

"It's damn near pouring Bells." Charlie pointed out, Bella shook her head.

"It's a medium drizzle at most." She corrected. "You just don't want me to go out."

"You're right." Renee would have gone off on some other lies like 'I don't want to catch a cold' but Charlie wasn't like that. "Hell Bells you're a day out of the hospital."

"Yea and if I don't get out of the house I'll go stir crazy and you know that." She pointed out dryly.

Charlie sighed before he retreated to the kitchen only to return with what looked like a small, black tube. Instead of handing it to her, Charlie held it sideways and pressed a button on the side. It expanded into a 26" inch baton.

"Keep this with you and _don't_ hesitate to use it." Charlie ordered as he collapsed the baton and handed it to her.

"What?" Bella questioned with a smirk. "You're not gonna give me a Kevlar vest?"

Charlie gave a small smile back. "I had to special order one for you cause you're so damn skinny."

"Funny."

As Bella continued to snap photo after photo of the woods during the rain, loving the air surrounding her, she honestly didn't think of anything. Her mind, despite all that had happened, was completely clear. All the fog done, all the doubt vacated and she felt like she came off a drunken bender or a drugged stupor. The air she breathed was lighter, the ground she walked on was moist to the point that she walked to the grassy meadow and took her shoes off to feel each blade of grass beneath her feet. While looking her the wet grass between her toes, Bella heard...no...felt something intrude in her mind.

_"It's dangerous to be outside alone."_

That was Chandlers voice but after looking around Bella couldn't see him anywhere.

_"I'm not there or a projection," _His voice said_. "I'm simply speaking to your telepathically."_

"Really?" Bella asked to nobody in view. "And just how are you doing that?"

_"It's a Faerie thing, we can communicate with one another."_

"No," Bella said remembering something she read. "You can only do that if you have something of the person you're communicating with."

_"You have been reading the Tuatha Dé Danann text." _Chandler realized proudly. _"I'm glad."_

"Yes so is my grandmother now what did you steal?" She snapped, then heard Chandler laugh.

_"Now if I tell you that, whats to stop you from casting a charm to stop me?"_ He asked.

"You're smarter than you're cocky voice gives away." Bella snapped, again he laughed.

_"This tenacity is extremely sexy yet unnecessary, I told you we're on same side."_

"You know the scorpion said that to the toad and that story didn't end greatly." She pointed out.

_"Regardless, the full moon is in two days and if my casting is correct that's the first day of your heat cycle." _Bella scoffed as she mentally did the math. _"Once you see what kind of animal your little boyfriend is, then you'll come running to me."_

"I'd sooner break my legs then run to you." She snapped.

_"You say that now, puppet, but we'll see. By the way, there's a were-bitch and a mangy cur headed your way."_

Bella turned to see both Leah and Jared walking trotting towards her, both in wolf form. Leah was a beautiful mix of white and silver and was just as large as Jared, if not larger. Bella read somewhere that it was perfectly normal for female grey wolves to be larger than a male. Why Bella was comparing werewolves to regular grey wolves...she never knew. Even in wolf form, Bella could see the unsaid question in their intelligent eyes.

"I was just talking to myself." She explained, as if excepting the answer Jared nudged her with his massive head. "Stop it." She warned lightly.

Jared nudged her again, towards the direction of the Ephraim house and Bella got the picture. Navigating through the paths and trying not to fall from Jared's constant nudging, Bella, him, and Leah got to the Ephraim house and Bella sat on the front porch while the two went to the back of the house. How Bella wished to take a million pictures of the pack in wolf form but she knew she couldn't and would never. But, on the other hand, there's no crime against a painting or two was there?

"Do you know talking to yourself is the first sign of clinical insanity?" Leah asked, emerging from the inside of the house fully clothed in a pair of shorts and a tank top.

"Aw, leave our little fairy princess alone," Jared chastised lightly as he too came out of the house dressed in shorts. "With all on her plate it's a wonder why she's not already in the nut house."

"Nice Jared, thanks so much for reminding me." Bella snapped mockingly, Jared slung a massive arm around her shoulders.

"Just pointing out how strong you are." He told her gently, Leah rolled her eyes along with Bella.

"Does Jacob know you're out here talking to yourself and risking pneumonia?" Leah asked.

"Not that it really matters but yes he does and I also don't think he needs to know where I am twenty-four seven." Bella pointed out.

"Wow," Jared commented with another smile. "You still don't know anything about the whole imprint thing do you?"

"What's that supposed to mean?" Bella asked confused.

"To Jacob, you're the sun and the moon. Same with Sam and Emily, Embry and Angela, and Raul and Rachel. You're his top priority, over the pack even and you're gonna have to get used to that." Jared explained.

Coming from Jacob, the words would have been intense and a bit intimidating. Jared simply recited it like it was common knowledge even though he, nor anyone else in the pack, have been a werewolf for even a year yet. The mention of the sun and moon made Bella think back to what Chandler had told her via mind connection. Had she ever seen Jacob during a full moon? No, she hadn't. He never came to her room and she never went out to see him. Why was that? Bella wanted to know right away but decided that the question was innocent enough to ask Jacob later that evening.

* * *

><p>"So you and Jacob have a date tonight, huh?" Angela asked later over lunch at the cafe.<p>

Bella shrugged. "We're having dinner at his place so more than likely Billy will be there."

"No he won't." Angela sang happily. "Embry told me Billy left this morning to visit Jacob's uncle in Olympia so it'll just be you and you're hot man candy."

"Please don't ever call him that again." Bella asked in a pleading voice.

"Are you going to fuck him?" Angela asked causing Bella to nearly spit out her salad at her friends adorable crudeness.

"I don't know." Bella cried out softly as she tried to catch her breathe and Angela patted her back.

"It's actually not that big of a decision sweetie." Angela pointed out. "You two love each other so natural progress is to express that love at a physical level, do you still have those condoms we bought months ago?"

"Yea." Bella admitted quietly, though she didn't tell Angela that she carried at least one anytime she knew Jacob would be around.

"Good, keep them with you at all times." Angela advised. "Now what are you going to wear?"

Bella looked down at herself. "What's wrong with what I'm wearing now?"

Angela almost glared at her best friend. "Are you joking? I mean, you have a nice style and all but this is yours and Jacob first official date, you should wear white."

"We're eating dinner and most likely watching t.v., not getting married." Bella pointed out.

"I know but white is a given hint at purity, so-"

"So I should let Jacob make impure on the first date Ms. Gave-It-Up-In-The-Back-Of-A-Car?" Bella asked with a smiled, Angela shrugged innocently.

"I'm still with the guy and it's not slutty if it's my car." She told Bella insistently.

"Sure sure."

* * *

><p>Dressed in the light pink sundress and sandals chosen from her closet, Bella knocked on the Black's front door. With her powers, the cut on her head was almost completely healed and her bruises all gone so Jacob couldn't use her injury as an excuse. It wasn't that she was determined to sleep with Jacob tonight but whatever happened happened. Jacob opened the door with a wide smile and scooped her up into a warm hug.<p>

"Hey, there beautiful." He greeted into her neck before pulling back and kissing her soundly on the lips. Without setting her down, he shut the door with his foot and finally let her fall to her feet in his living room. The house smelled wonderful, he made Italian which was her favorite. On the coffee table was a small platter of vegetables and cheeses, including black olives which she loved. Before he went back to the kitchen, Jacob handed Bella a cold bottle strawberry soda which was another favorite of hers. The forks market didn't sell strawberry soda so Jacob had to have left town to get it and the knowledge he went through all this trouble for her relax and terrified her.

"This all looks so great." She complimented as she watched him move around the small kitchen.

"It's all for you moonbeam." He told her honestly.

"Not to put on pressure or anything." She joked, Jacob looked up from plating to stare at her.

"No babe pressure will come from what is on Turner Classic Movies tonight." He told her in a teasing voice.

"What is on?" She asked excitedly.

"The Big Sleep, Dark Passage, and Key Largo." He recited, obviously happy to see her reaction of pure elation.

"All Bacall and Bogart films." She all but squeaked happily, then threw him a easy look. "You are getting off to a really good start mister."

"That is my mission." He told her with a smile. "Sit down, food's almost done."

Bella sat on the large, comfortable couch and nibbled on a piece of cheese just before Jacob approached her and sat down a plate of fresh smelling garlic bread. He went back to the kitchen only to return with two plates of spaghetti with red sauce. It smells so good Bella's stomach let out a loud and angry growl.

"That's a compliment." Jacob gloated. "The red sauce is something I researched online and the bread is from Emily, but I did bake it myself."

"A man of many talents." Bella complimented and the two dug into the food. Jacob turned the television on just in time for the start of The Big Sleep. By the time the second movie began, the food was gone and Jacob had pulled out a pint of ice cream for dessert. He removed the empty dinner plates from the coffee table before he replaced them with sundae fixings. Ice cream, whipped cream, chocolate sauce, sprinkles, gummy bears, and m & m's.

"You have something over here." Jacob said half way into Dark Passage as he gestured to a corner of his lips, Bella wiped the corner. "No, other side." He said gesturing to the opposite side.

"You're lying to me." Bella realized, Jacob smiled and shrugged innocently.

"Fine I'll get it." He replied a second before his lips covered hers. With one hand Jacob placed their ice cream bowls on the coffee table before he used that hand to cup her face and deepen the kiss. Soon, the movie was forgotten as Bella was flat against the couch with 200 plus pounds of muscled werewolf on top of her. When her hands went eagerly to his pant zipper, Jacob pulled back and shook his head.

"Not yet babe." He told her softly, Bella had to hold back her groan of frustration.

"Why?" She asked impatiently, Jacob smiled gently at her as he stroked her hair.

"Because I told you I didn't want it to be impulsive." He explained and shifted them so that she lay over him and faced the television.

"I always thought it was the girl who always changed her mind at the last minute." She teased bitterly, Jacob laughed.

"Trust me moonbeam, it'll all be worth it in the end." He told her proudly. After a few moments of watching the movie Bella spoke again.

"Will I see you Tuesday night?" She asked, Jacob tensed for a split second.

"No, Sam's got me on patrol." That was a lie and she could tell.

"I never see you on the full moon." Bella questioned. "Why? Does the full moon mean something?"

"The full moon affects damn near everything, but most people are too unattached to nature they don't even realize it. For us, the pack I mean, the full moon makes us more...primal, our bond with our wolves are stronger to the point we have trouble shifting back to human or controlling our animal instinct." He explained dryly, Bella raised a brow and pulled back to stare down at his handsome face.

"So I don't see you on the full moon because you're afraid to hurt me?" She asked, Jacob thought a moment and nodded.

"That's why I tell you to stay in on those nights." He continued, Bella sighed and resumed her position.

* * *

><p>The following Tuesday evening, after Angela had driven her home from work, Bella sat on her bed watching the sun and clouds transform into the moon and stars. The full moon, studies have shown people act more erratically during the full moon. They say since the moon affects the tides (running water) that it would affect humans because most of them were made of water. It made their blood pump faster, which made them act hyper and on edge. It did the opposite for her, it centered her, grounded her and it always made her powers more powerful. Closing her eyes, she focused on Jacob and searched for him. He was close, but still too far for her liking. She couldn't stand being away from him and not have the strong connection Angela had with Embry. Walking to her closet, Bella pulled the white dress she owned over her head followed by her red boots. Charlie was still at work so she left him a note on the the fridge telling him dinner was in the oven and that she went to Angela's. By the time she prepared the meal and got outside, the moon was at full shine and illuminated the woods behind her house. She was so eager she nearly forgot her small purse she needed with her if the timing was right.<p>

She walked into the woods and wondered a bit off trail before she stopped at a small clearing and stood for a moment. Her heart was racing and she was so shaky the purse jingled in her hand. Bella was about to sit down when she heard a growl behind her.

"I told you _not_ to come out tonight." Jacob said in a tone she almost never heard from him. Turning to him, she flinched at the lupine gold color of his usually dark eyes.

"_Don't run_!" He ordered as she moved an inch away from him.

"I wasn't planning on it." Not really anyway, Jacob smiled in a predatory way.

"Good," He said as he approached her, naked from his shift back to human. "Because, little moonbeam, if you attempted to run, it would make me what to chase you. Track you down like a little rabbit and sink my teeth into you."

"Really?" She squeaked out.

"You knew what would happen if you came out tonight." Jacob said, trailing his finger along her shoulder. "Look how you dressed for me? Like a virgin sacrificed to the beast of her village."

"If you would have taken advantage of any other situation I wouldn't have to have taken the initiative." Bella told him

"Initiative?" He echoed. "Is that what you're doing? Taking initiative?"

Bella nodded and Jacob laughed openly.

"Ah little moonbeam, what you did was take the largest step of your young life." He told her cryptically. "See, I wanted to make love to you as you're gentle human boyfriend, but you have upped the anty so that you're going to get fucked by you're rough mated imprint. So, since you decided to take the 'initiative' let me tell you what is going to transpire tonight. There will be no beds, or candles, or romantic mood setting I originally wished for us. No, I am going to take you like I want to every time I see another guy look at you as if you were theirs. Those boots you love so much are going to get tossed over my should when I stick my head between your legs." He said circling her and Bella shivered as she flushed red but he continued. "So please little moonbeam for entertainment sake, run from me, give me a little chase because I guarantee when I'm done with you you won't be able to walk for a while."

Bella took off running, not really trying to get away, just trying to get some control back over the situation she walked into. She didn't even get far or hear Jacob move and suddenly arms snaked around her waist and she was headed to the ground. Jacob spun them mid air so that he took the brunt of the fall himself. He laughed darkly as he turned them over as she swatted playfully at his body.

"That's good, _kwopatit_, fight me. You know when I female wolf is in heat and her mate is circling her she does a the same, gives a show of claws and teeth all the while driving her mate into a frenzy." He growled as he ran his hands up her legs and under the dress. He obviously couldn't get her underwear over her boots so he settled with literally ripping them off of her. While he still lay looking down at her face, Jacob's hand rubbed eagerly at her wet core. One finger dipped into her and pulled out to spread her juices around her soft, curl covered folds. The same finger thrust back in and his thumb began to work on her swollen clit. Bella didn't have to stifle her moan and Jacob absorbed the sound happily as his hand continued to work on her. She came moments later with a yelp and Jacob smiled down at her wolfishly.

"Your first orgasm came from my hand, the next couple will come from my mouth." He told her and moved himself down her body. Bella was still shaking from the first round when he tossed her legs over his shoulders and bunched her dress around her naked hips. He again used both of his hands to part her weeping folds before Bella felt the first dart of his tongue against her center. Her hand clenched the purse she still managed to hold onto as the tongue was joined by a singular finger, both fucking her in sensual thrusts. Jacob's tongue flicked over her clit and darted in and out of her. When she reached down to tunnel her fingers in his inky, black hair Jacob's mouth became more fierce and lapped at her like she was water to a guy lost in the desert. A second finger joined the first, stretching her as his tongue stayed on her clit. Her back arched off the ground as he second orgasm tore through her but Jacob didn't stop licking. He was more eager and stayed between her legs until she came again. She felt him use the helm of her dress to lightly wipe his mouth before he crawled up her body and kissed her. Pulled her up to a sitting position, Jacob shed her completely of her dress and gave a delighted growl at the sight of her completely naked except for her boots.

"Please tell me you have something." He groaned out roughly and Bella gestured shakily to her purse. Jacob pulled out a condom and smiled darkly as he tore it open and sheathed the latex over his rather large member. Bella closed her eyes as he situated himself between her legs until she felt his hand against her face.

"I want to look into your eyes when I take you." He ordered before he began to slowly push himself into her tight body. He stretched her to a point that Bella wasn't sure he would fit. The slow and steady approach wasn't getting anywhere so Jacob leaned down to capture her lips with his before he completely buried himself inside of her to the hilt. He swallowed her cry of pain as he broke through the thin barrier. God, the romance novels lied, it felt like she was being torn in half. That fleeting pain and slight discomfort was complete bullshit. His closed eyes and clenched fist told Bella that Jacob was fighting like hell to keep still as her body adjusted to the intrusion. After a few, long minutes Jacob rocked his hips steadily and Bella's pain was interrupted by a new pleasure like she never felt before. She felt...full. Complete even as Jacob continued to thrust into her body. The gold in his eyes shined their brightest as he stared down at her quivering form. His hand dug into her hips as he guided her body to match his thrust. Bella felt the convulsion spread through her body as the fiercest orgasm went through her body. Jacob let out the primal roar as he tensed and came. Bella felt him grow larger as he finished and she let out on satisfied sigh as he withdrew from her to pull the condom off.

"Did I hurt you?" Jacob asked after kissing her lightly, though the animal gold in his hadn't gone away.

"Not really." She admitted although she knew blood stained her inner thighs.

"Good," Jacob said as he took out another condom from her purse. "Because I'm no where near done with you yet."

**Authors Note: Thanks for all of you who favorited me, I'm trying to make the chapters longer. Review Review Review.**


	28. Chapter 28: Aftermath

Disclaimer: I do not own Twilight.

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"You got laid, you got laid, you got laid." Angela sand happily as she visited Bella during lunch time at the day camp.

"The kids will hear you." Bella chastised grimly as she attempted to unglue a group of Popsicle sticks from the seat of her pants. It was Friday and Bella hadn't seen Jacob since their night/morning together on Tuesday. They had spoken briefly over the phone, the basic 'how are you' and ending with 'call you tomorrow.' Very cold and impersonal and most girls would think this was a basic guy move called 'Hit it and Quit it' but Bella knew better. Jacob was mad, at her and himself...mostly himself. When dawn peaked the morning after they first made love Jacob's golden eyes disappeared as quick as the moon had. In the unforgiving light of morning, Jacob had seen every bruise, bite, and the all knowing blood stain that marred her body...that _he_ had caused. He had scooped up her dress and handed it to her in a clenched fist before he tried to collect the plethora of condoms and wrappers from their many trysts throughout the night, Bella watched him with inquisitive eyes as she slid the dress over her head with shaky hands. Jacob walked Bella home, in wolf form given his nakedness, and carried her up the tree to her bedroom window as to make Charlie think she didn't stay out _all_ night. After he settled her on her bed, Jacob had kissed Bella's forehead like she was a child and told her he loved her. Since then, the most contact Bella had with him included the few curt phone calls and check in on her truck.

"I know but I'm so happy for you!" Angela told her.

"Yea." Bella agreed dryly and Angela's teasing smile wavered a bit.

"Well, whats wrong now?" She asked in a slightly worried voice, then her expression hardened. "You did want to right?"

Bella chuckled a bit at the protective undertone in Angela's voice, she was about hundred and ten pounds soaking wet and Bella wondered what would happen if itty-bitty Angela started a fight with big bad Jacob.

"I did, but he didn't." Bella stated, Angela's worried expression was replaced with a confused one.

"What?" She asked.

"He told me to stay away from him on the full moon and I didn't listen. He wanted our first time together to be this magical things and to me it was, but he hated himself for not having control over himself." She explained in a slightly frustrated tone.

"So...?"

"So I feel bad, I took advantage of the guy I love and I'm honestly not that sorry about it." Bella said exasperated, Angela smiled again.

"You shouldn't feel bad, you took charge about something girls rarely take charge in." Angela told her friend with a earnest face. "What has he been doing since then anyway?"

"Working on my truck, how can I face him now?" Bella asked and Angela's smile turned from warm to somewhat sinister.

"You don't have to face him," She insisted in a teasing tone. "You can do it with him behind you, or you can straddle his waist the opposite way, you can even-"

"Thank you Angela!" Bella cut off her friend quickly and looked around to make sure none of the kids heard them.

After work Angela had driven Bella straight home, no Emily's or the cafe, Bella just wanted to be alone with her own thoughts. After she stain sprayed the glue spot on her shorts and changed out of her uniform top, Bella was sitting in her underwear on her bed. What does she do know? Bug Jacob until he talked to her or let him work it out himself? She didn't like him working out something about their relationship alone. She should at least call him and try to get him to come over. Just as Bella's hand touched her cell phone, it rang but it shown no I.D.

"Hello?" She asked.

"How could you do this Isabella?" Came the angry, familiar voice. Bella froze, her throat tightening and scar itching.

"Daxton." She breathed out.

"How could you let them mongrel touch you?" He demanded in a raspy voice. God, he saw Bella and Jacob together? He watched? Why didn't Jacob sense him? Why didn't she? Bella felt sick to a point that she threw the phone down and rushed to the bathroom. By the time she finished vacated her stomach, she was barely breathing and tears were streaming down her face. Daxton could have kill them, he could have killed Jacob because of the 'distraction' Bella had caused him. Was Jacob in danger right now? Was anybody in danger or just her? She couldn't do this and hated herself for that fact. She grew so much only to freak out when faced with the very thing she was planning to fight all along. Before the female vamp and Chandler, Daxton was there and he's here now and she couldn't do anything about it. When she heard the front door get slammed open, Bella grabbed the back of the toilet and held the heavy porcelain above her head a second before the bathroom door slammed open.

"Jesus!" Jacob shouted as he ducked the swing of the toilet back lid. Taking the object from her hands, Jacob took in Bella's shaky and scared appearance. "What happened?"

"D-Daxton." She manged to say before exploding into another fit of tears. Jacob replaced the porcelain lid before he scooped her up in his arms and carried her back to her room. She finally stopped sobbing a good half hour later with Jacob stroking her back soothingly.

"I felt you," He told her. "I was in the garage and felt you're panic, and pain, and fear. I couldn't get here fast enough."

"Daxton called me." She whispered out then leaned up to look at him. "He was there, Jacob, in the woods, watching us that light."

The night of the full moon, the night they made love.

Jacob's expression hardened a bit. "He couldn't have been, I would have sensed him."

"He was there Jacob." She insisted. "He asked me how I could let you touch me. He saw us together."

"I'm telling you, I would have sensed him." He told her softly, wiping her tears away. "I don't know how, or even if, he knew what we did that night but he wasn't there."

"He was!" She insisted more angrily. "He's coming after you, he got close to Angela without anyone knowing and he was _watching_ us."

"Which means if he wanted to hurt either of us he would have," Jacob smirked a bit. "Well he would have tried anyway."

"It's not funny!" Bella cried out. "He already tried to kill me and nearly succeeded!"

"Nearly!" He shouted back. "You're not dead! You're not weak! And you're damn right not in danger!"

"Yes I am!" She broke into another fit of uncontrollable sobs.

"No you aren't." He said while rocking her back and forth. "We handled this, you're safe dammit, you're safe."

She didn't sleep that night, even with Jacob beside her she didn't sleep. She couldn't. She kept expecting Daxton to crash in her window with his large knife. Jacob had to snap her out of it twice when her anxiety made the entire house shake. After Jacob left, Bella opened the Tuatha de Danann text and began flipping through the old, worn pages determined to find something, anything to rid herself of the fear choking her.

_All types of Fae are most powerful at the times of in-between such as dusk, dawn, and midnight. _

Well, they explains the burst of energy she felt at those times but it didn't really help her. Pawning her necklace, the solution smacked her in the face. Dr. Cullen came tonight to take the last of her blood so she would have to start the plan the day after. Hopefully, the plan itself wouldn't kill her nor would it be known what she was doing to anyone. Placing the tea kettle on the stove and closing the book, Bella winced as she remembered she couldn't tell Jacob about it because he would stop her. He loved her too much to let her do the one thing that would keep all of them alive. Charlie was home that evening, so the blood letting had to be done in, unfortunately, Jacob's house. Billy sat at the kitchen table cleaning a gun in a very Charlie-like way and Carlisle hadn't come alone this time. He brought Alice and Edward with him and given the looks the vampires were giving one another the news wasn't good. Jacob and Jared sat in the room as well, convinced that on the one and hundred chance the Cullen's decided to attack that they would be able to kill them.

"Okay," She started after Carlisle had inserted the thin needle into her vein. "What's up?"

After a moment of silence and shared looks Edward spoke. "The missing teens up north, they were made vampire."

Bella froze. "Why?"

"We believe." Carlisle intersected. "That Daxton is going to use them to distract, or take out, the wolves."

"To get to me?" Bella breathed out as a wave of enormous pain washed through her. All those kids, dead because of her. Jacob grabbed her hand comfortingly when he obviously, felt her pain.

"How many kids?" She asked in a pained voice.

"Twenty three." Edward answered in a emotionless voice.

"When are they coming?" Jacob asked in a sharp voice.

"A week, maybe two." Alice answered, her eyes in a daze as she recanted her vision.

With the last of her needed blood to conduct the test, the Cullens walked with Jared to meet up with the pack to discuss their role in the fight. Jacob stayed next to Bella as she drank her carrot juice silently. She couldn't let this happen. She couldn't watch people she cared about die because of her. This was all her fault. If she hadn't gone to that stupid party, all those months ago, she and Daxton would never have met. He wouldn't have fixated on her like a hawk and maybe his new girlfriend wouldn't have triggered his psycho mind trip. Sure, he may have stalked his next girlfriend but Bella doubted it. Daxton wouldn't have stalked her, followed her to Seattle, and wouldn't have tried to kill her and then kill himself. Daxton would have left their cold bodies on the marble floor for her mother to find them, but he didn't. Bella survived and Daxton was a vampire. He became a vampire to get to her, was manipulated by a woman who wanted to kill Bella before her magick erupted. All of this, all of this death and pain, because Bella went to a fucking party. She could have done the usual, gone to the party, gotten drunk maybe did some X and woken up in bed next to a stranger.

Nope, Bella got a stalker.

She couldn't let people die because of her series of unfortunate events.

* * *

><p>"I can't let this happen." Bella said the next day at Emily's house, Angela and Emily looked at her with furrowed brows as they prepared the food for the guys.<p>

"What do you mean?" Angela asked, Bella took another sip of her homemade tea.

"I can't let the guys or the Cullens fight for me." She explained.

"Well," Emily started. "You don't have much of a choice, Jacob's your mate and the Cullens like you too much to just let Daxton kill you."

"Daxton won't try to kill me," Bella pointed out. "He's going to try to make me a vampire."

"But he can't." Angela reminded her.

"Yea, and when he realizes it he's going to kill everyone I love and _then_ he'll kill me, slowly." Bella told them, Emily shivered.

"Well, you can't do anything about it. We're all going to fight for you." She told Bella comfortingly.

"I can give up." Bella said as she tapped the side of the tea cup absently. "Go to Daxton, or just die, before anything can happen."

"Bella-" Angela started.

"No," Bella cut in. "It would make the most sense, one dies to save many it shouldn't be the other way just because my mate has a soft spot."

"Bella-"

"Can you watch Embry die?" Angela visually flinched and paled as did Emily as the thought of losing Sam obviously washed over her, the food forgotten on the counter. "I can save you all, not with powers, but I can still do it. I should have done it before, that way none of this would have happened."

"Bella!" Emily snapped loudly, then pointed behind her. "You shouldn't say that when the guys you're trying to protect is standing behind you." She advised.

Jacob looked pissed, more than she had ever seen him before. The pack looked only a bit angry, probably because the idea of being saved by a small, human-ish, girl didn't go well with their egos. Bella had time to finish her tea before Jacobs large hand wrapped around her arm and hauled her up the stairs to the guest room.

"You're not doing this!" He snapped at her.

"It's stupid to put countless lives at risk just to save me!"

"The hell it is!" He screamed back. "It's my job to protect you."

"As a wolf or as my boyfriend!" She sneered condescendingly.

"Both!"

"Well then what the hell is my job then?" She snapped. "Sit idly by and twiddle my thumbs, praying you'll come back alive!"

"You're job is to stay safe and not even fathom the idea of sacrificing yourself for me or damn near anyone!"

"You could die Jacob!" She snapped. "You, the guys, my father, your father, the Cullens, anyone who is in the way!"

"If we die it's our choice to!"

"And it's my choice too!" She retorted.

Jacob paused and inhaled calmly, which made Bella even more nervous. In her short experience with Jacob and common sense, Bella knew that when a yelling, angry Jacob Black became calm in a millisecond it was never a good sign. The walls were shaking and she wasn't sure whether it was from him or her nervousness of being alone with him. Jacob wouldn't hurt her on purpose but she wasn't so naive to think when pushed to that level (and when his mind wasn't clouded by sex) he was a grenade without a trigger and all she had to do was let him go to see the explosion.

"If I ever," He started in a deeply serious voice. "See, hear, or even _think_ you are planning on doing something stupid like getting yourself killed for the 'benefit' of other people, I will lock your boney ass in the closet until Dax is killed."

"Then I better not let you see, hear, or even think I'm planning something." She sneered back with crossed arms, then looked at her watch. "I'm going home."

"I'll drive you." He growled out since he was still fixing her truck.

"I'll walk." She snapped and moved to leave the room before Jacob stepped in front of her. "Get the hell out of my way."

"You think I'll let you walk home after your little suicide rant?" He asked as if she were stupid or she thought he was the stupid one.

"I don't expect you to _let_ me to a damn thing so I'm going to take my boney ass home and rethink what you believe this relationship is about." She ranted before she stormed from Emily's home, leaving behind knowing and confused gazes.

Charlie knew she and Jacob had had a disagreement when Bella had stormed into the house. He asked her if anything was wrong (knowing she had just seen Jacob) and Bella said 'not really' as she prepared dinner for them both. Sue Clearwater had brought over a strawberry-rhubarb pie, Charlie's favorite which lightened Bella's mood a bit knowing that someone, _somewhere _was in a better mood than she was. After dinner and while she was brushing her teeth, Bella still couldn't believe Jacob's words to her. She wasn't supposed to do anything? She was only meant to stay safe, hoping he would return alive that _anyone_ would come back alive? She had this power, magnified by her bloodline and she was only meant to use it as a last resort? Bullshit. Before she went to bed, Bella seeped another cup of tea in the kitchen and was sitting on her front porch sipping it. She didn't want the Cullen's fighting for her. They were good, and strong, probably wouldn't die (seeing as they were technically already dead) but the less people in the fight the better. She would also have to get Charlie out of the vicinity, or at least on Quiluete land but with all the time he had been spending with Sue Clearwater she doubted it would be that hard. She could feel Jacob prowling around and Bella knew he wasn't going to approach her tonight, he was probably still reeling about her idea of sacrifice. He ignored her after they had sex, comforted her after the call from Daxton, then yelled at her over battle plans.

A relationship was soooooo not what she needed right now.

If it were a normal thing, they were both normal people, she would break up with him or at least take a break, until she had her life figured out...or Daxton's head on a platter. Bella smiled as the blood thirsty, very Jacob-like thought popped into her head. In her current mood, it would take more than a TCM marathon and strawberry soda to raise her spirits. It would take her taking charge again, making sure that blood, human or otherwise, was not spilled because of her stupid choices. She made a note to call the Cullens to tell them not to come back to fight with the pack, not that the pack would mind much and luckily the Cullen's could in turn use the time to test her blood on Rosalie, who decided to be the guinea pig. Good for her, anytime Bella and Rosalie were in the same room Bella got a wave of empathetic pain from the beautiful woman. Bella didn't know much about her though, other than the fact she was married to Emmett and loved cars. Maybe Rosalie's pain was from the idea of her lost life, if that was so Bella hoped her blood would help her. A week, maybe two. Hopefully, it was enough to work her plan.

**Authors Note: Yes, it is a battle like in Eclipse. I'm basically retelling the story the way I wanted it to go. Thanks for all my reviews!**


	29. Chapter 29: Warnings and Help

Disclaimer: I do not own Twilight.

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Sitting on her front porch after work and before Charlie got home, Bella sipped a cup of tea. She had spent her lunch break calling Phoenix on a hunch she and Jared had thought up. If she had been a faery her whole life, then she would have had to be protected wherever she was. She had thought back to when the nameless female vampire had killed those men in Arizona who had been suspected of being skin walkers. Bella hadn't known any of those men so she then tried to remember who in her life carried some of the characteristics that Jacob did like speed, strength, heightened senses, and a noticeably higher body temperature. All those characteristics led Bella to Rory, her mothers ex-boyfriend. Rory had been in Bella's life since the minute she and her mother had moved to Phoenix. Acting as a true friend to Renee and a second father to Bella as a child, walking her back home from school or picking her up at the botanical gardens or the public library when she decided to skip school. Rory was honestly surprised when Bella had called him out of the blue and asked him directly is he was a werewolf, working on the presumption that if he wasn't Rory would just assume she was joking. Regardless Rory answered her truthfully and confirmed her suspicions. He had gone on full alert when she told him why she was asking and barked out that he would be there to fight for her safety along with some of his pack. Pack speaking, Bella hadn't spent much time with Jacob in the last few days because the pack was too busy training that they couldn't spend time with their mates. Bella shouldn't feel neglected when she knew he had no other choice but she did feel bad that Emily, Angela, and probably Rachel were feeling neglected.

As if reading her thoughts from a distance, Bella heard the familiar rumble of Jacob's beloved motorcycle. She smiled and set down her tea cup when he stopped the bike on her the curb in front of her house.

"Shouldn't you be making sure you lot don't die?" She asked when he swung his leg off the bike and approached her.

Jacob kissed her soundly and sat next to her on the porch bench. "We can handle any blood suckers any day." He gloated. "Besides, I wanted to talk about something a bit more important then vamps."

"What?" Bella asked hesitantly.

"That night," He answered softly. "The full moon."

"Oh." Bella said with flamed cheeks, why did he want to talk about it _now_?

"Yea."

"You think it shouldn't have happened?" She asked in a frightened voice, Jacob shook his head fiercely.

"No that's not true." He said adamantly. "Not entirely."

"What do you mean?" She asked.

"I wanted to be with you, around you, inside of you since I first found out you were coming here." He explained with made Bella sigh in relief and blush even more if possible. "But not like that, I wanted it to be slow and easy, not fast and rough."

"But it wasn't-"

"I saw the bruises," Jacob cut her off gently. "In the morning, I saw my hand prints on your hips, legs, and your arms." He sounded angry at himself.

"But I wasn't hurt." She told him. She had been a little sore sure, but not hurt.

"Then why couldn't you talk to me afterwards?" He demanded sharply pinning her with a stare so intense it made Bella squirm.

"You wouldn't talk to me." She pointed out in a small voice.

"I didn't want to scare you. I was torn between being angry at myself and wanting nothing but to be inside you again." He admitted. "And phones work both ways, Bella."

Bella was quiet a few moments before speaking.

"I felt bad for taking advantage of you." She admitted which made Jacob openly laugh a deep, barking laugh.

"How on earth did you take advantage of me, little moonbeam?" He asked as if the whole concept was impossible, making Bella a little peeved.

"You told me what the full moon did to you," She explained. "You told me to stay out of the woods and I didn't listen because I was impatient to wait for the right time because with everything that was and is happening I didn't know when or If the right time would even come."

Instantly, Jacob's expression hardened. "You were impatient because you thought I was going to end up dead?"

"No, I thought I was." Bella admitted which, if possible, hardened Jacob's expression even more.

"What?" He growled out animally, Bella didn't answered. "You thought you were going to die a virgin?"

'That's not all it was about," Bella insisted. "I wanted to be with you, that way if something happened to either of us we would both share that memory."

"Well _that_ wasn't exactly the memory I wanted us to share." He snapped and Bella paled. "And we make memories each time we're together."

"I know." She muttered but Jacob continued as if he didn't hear her.

"I remembered the song you would always hum when we were in the garage, whenever you thought about Daxton or Phoenix you would rub or scratch your scar. Whenever you're thinking really hard about something you'll twist your hair. I remember that white shirt you wore to La Push the first time we went together, it had golden thread on the hem. And I remember when you're nervous or don't know what to say, like you are now, you bite the inside of your cheek."

In an instant, Bella released the side of her cheek.

"Every minute I'm with you I make memories that will last forever." He finished holding her small hand in against his chest over his heart. Bella felt the steady, if fast, beat of his heart under her palm.

"How would you have wanted our first time?" She asked, Jacob smiled mischievously.

"You'll see."

"When?" Bella asked eagerly, Jacob pulled her under the security of his muscled arm and tucked her into him.

"Soon," He promised. "Half the fun of sex is the anticipation or having it."

"Tease." She purred lightly and settled herself against him. "I make memories too."

"What?" Jacob asked with a furrowed brow.

"I remember you would keep strawberry soda at your house even though I know they don't sell it in town. I remember whenever we went for a walk, before we were together, you would stay close enough to me that you made me feel safe but far away enough that I didn't feel crowded. I remember you would touch my hair too."

"You noticed that?" Jacob asked. "You never said anything."

"I didn't mind," She confessed. "I would touch yours too, when you had hair anyway." She gave his hair cut a pointed look.

"Hey it's a bit distracting to have a lion mane and you're a wolf." He pointed out lightly, Bella tensed a bit as her cell phone rang from her pocket.

"Hello?" She asked when the ID didn't give her a name.

"Bella," Chandler, Jacob's body froze a moment as he no doubt heard the voice.

"Stop calling me." Bella demanded before she hung up the phone, a second later it rung again and Jacob picked it up.

"What?" He demanded, Bella didn't hear the conversation but watched as a shadow came across Jacob's face.

"Do not call her again." He seethed before he hung up the phone and handed it back to her.

"What did he say?" She asked in a slightly put off voice. Instead of answering her straight away Jacob wrapped his arms around her to hold her closer to him.

"Jacob?" Bella questioned after a few moments of silence and pulled herself out of his warm embrace. "What did he say?"

He was silent another minute as he looked at her before he spoke. "He told me that you will die."

What? "What?" She asked.

"In a dream he had, dreams he said always come true, he saw you die."

"He's lying to you." Bella told him although she couldn't bring herself to fully believe the words.

"He's either telling the truth, lying, or threatening you." Jacob growled out. "Either way I don't like him."

Bella smiled and tucked herself back under his arm. "I'm not going anywhere." She promised.

_"At least," _She thought. _"I hope I'm not."_

* * *

><p>Jacob kept his hand locked on Bella's waist the next day as they watched Rory Storm's pack enter the Grille. Their were only five of them, which was a pretty suitable number he suspected if all they had to do was protect Bella for years. He wouldn't admit it out loud, but he did suspect both Bella and his pack knew, he was still visibly shaken by what that guy Chandler told him. Part of Jacob told him to ignore it, write it off as a threat meant to shake him but a bigger part told him that it wasn't a lie or a threat. He didn't want Bella out of his sights and he didn't intend to stay far from her.<p>

"Bella." Rory greeted with a huge smile that made Bella move away from him to enter the arms of a man who had acted as a second father to her.

"How are you Rory?" Bella asked after the two had separated.

"I'm great Bella, but I do wish I would have seem you again under more...positive circumstances." Rory answered with a pointed look aimed at Jacob and Bella apparently remembered his presence.

"Rory this is Jacob Black my..." Jacob loved the look on her face as she was unsure of what to call him but Jacob had a good idea.

"Fiancee." He supplied and shook the older mans hand, Bella stared up at him with confusion and shock in her beautiful eyes.

"What?" He asked her innocently. "It's true."

"The hell it is." Bella protested and Jacob would have taken the the statement as a shot to his ego if the current situation aloud it.

The discussion and decision was kept light and basic at the Grille just in case someone over heard them they would assume they were talking about a role playing game. It was the stuff like who they were going to fight and why, fighting Daxton's little 'army' because he wants to turn Bella and kidnap her to be with him. After the facts, Jacob backed off to let Bella and Rory time to catch up. It was more than obvious that Bella held great affection for the man who, unbeknownst to her, protected her for many years.

"I thought she would be mine." Jacob turned to the were behind him on full alert to the possible threat. It was Aaron, Rory's nephew and pack mate.

"Well she's not." She said sternly, Aaron smiled and held his hands up in surrender.

"I know man," He responded. "I'm not saying I'm going to go after her."

"Then why make the comment?" Jacob asked now weary of the slightly older, possibly stronger, wolf before him.

"Because I see how you two are together," Aaron told him gently. "She was never like that with me."

The comment made Jacob feel a little better. "What was she like in Phoenix?"

"You mean before that asshole came into her life?" Jacob nodded. "She was quiet but not in the timid way, more like she assessed the situation before deciding whether or not talking would do any good. She was intelligent, you could see it in her eyes even as a young kid. She was thoughtful too and very empathetic. Once when she was twelve Bella called my uncle to come pick her up from the hospital and told him not to call her mom. Uncle Rory freaked of course and sped over but Bella was completely fine."

"So why was she at the hospital?" Jacob asked, eying his imprint who sat at the bar with Rory enjoying a soda.

"She has apparently walked into the emergency room with this homeless man who couldn't speak English but she knew he had heart pain. The doctors who initially blew her off finally checked the man out and discovered a clot that would have eventually killed the man. During the whole thing the man kept calling Bella 'healing spirit' in Hopi."

"Wow." Jacob said actually impressed, Aaron nodded.

"Yea she's incredible." He stated before he walked over to his uncle and Bella.

"She's something alright." Jacob whispered to himself with a full smile on his lips.

* * *

><p>It surprised Bella how easy sleep had come later that night and soon after her head hit the pillow she was in dream land.<p>

_Green, again with the green? She was surrounded with forest and grass in her waking life so why does she also tormented by the annoying color in her dreams? This time she was next to the lake on the Quiluete rez, actually she was sitting on the dock with her toes in the water. It was warm, the sun beaming down on her skin which was barely covered by the bikini she wore._

_"This is peaceful." Came a sickening familiar voice from behind her a second before a jean clad Chandler sat next to her on the dock. Bella paled and wished she had something to cover up with, a second later she felt a fabric under her hand. It was a blue sarong that she happily wrapped around her body._

_"Go away." She deadpanned._

_"No need to cover up on my account." Chandler said in a cocky tone._

_"Bite me." Bella snapped._

_"Love to." He responded with a smile, Bella rolled her eyes._

_"Why are you here?" She asked. "Just because you can be or is there another reason?"_

_Chandler sobered up in an instant. "I wasn't lying to you boyfriend."_

_"About me dying?" She asked, he voice a little higher in pitch them it had been seconds before._

_He nodded. "I saw it." _

_He was referring to the 'visions' Fae can get when their powers are strong or danger was imminent._

_"When will it happen?" She asked, Chandler looked at her sharply._

_"You're not nearly as frightened as you should be." He all but snapped._

_"Why do you care anyway?" Bella asked rudely. "I die and you get a better shot at stealing the Tuatha Dé Danann text."_

_"We're from the people who have what is basically opposing political views, I don't want you dead." He insisted and Bella sneered at him._

_"Oh that's right," She remembered sarcastically. "Without me, who will carry on the 'pure' line?"_

_Chandler shrugged innocently and didn't respond, instead he looked around to their natural surrounding._

_"Let's go somewhere a little more my style shall we?" He offered._

_Bella felt a tug in her abdomen and instantly was aware that she was no longer in control of her sleeping mind. One second her toes were submerged in the lake and the next she was bracing herself against the harsh winds nipping at her. She wasn't in a sarong and bikini anymore and instead was dressed in a pair of jeans, black and white stripped top, and a pair of white sandals. Chandler smiled down at her in jeans and a fashionable tee-shirt as the sun beamed down on them. Bella looked around to find them both on a metal structure of some kind over looking a busy metropolis. Cluttered streets, the middle of the city was if old buildings surrounded by new developments on the out skirts. The streets were a mix of people, vendors, and cars and off in the distance Bella saw a landmark she had only seen in pictures. Realization struck her like a lightening bolt and Bella spun back around to look at the top of the structure they were on._

_"We're in Paris?" They were on the Eiffel Tower._

_"Yep," He answered proudly as he took in his astonished gaze. "You'll still technically in bed asleep but this is really Paris."_

_"Why?" Bella asked in a breathy voice as she continued to look at their surroundings._

_"To show you what I can offer." He told her, his breath on her neck when he stood behind her. "I can give you the world, freedom, anything you want."_

_"Jacob gives me everything I want." She pointed out before she turned to face him. "And he doesn't ask for anything in return."_

_"Except your submission." Chandler retorted quickly. "He can't give you what I can. He'll be stuck where he is, with his pack." He practically spit out the last word._

_"Love is about sacrifice." Bella told him although he spoke the truth._

_"It doesn't have to be," He whispered a he cupped her face. "Tell me where you are, where you live and I'll come for you, take you away from werewolves and vampires."_

_Looking deep into her eyes, Chandler dipped his head to kiss her. Bella contemplated letting the kiss happen when a vision of Jacob stopped her dead. Pulling away from his knowing gaze Bella glared at him._

_"I want to wake up. Now!"_

Bella's eyes snapped opened and she shot up in her bed. She was alone and like always she wished she wasn't, wished Jacob was here. Pulling herself into a sitting position against her head board she grabbed her charm bracelet from her night stand and held it. Was Chandler right? About Jacob having to stay with the pack and in Forks he was right. Bella hated to admit she had always wanted to go away to school, possibly study abroad but she hadn't thought much about it since she and Jacob got together. She would be a senior this year and even though Jacob had techincally graduated from high school already, he didn't talk about college or life after Daxton was dead. Maybe she shouldn't bring it up today, or tomorrow, maybe she should wait until all of this was behind them all. Rory was here with his pack (a familiar group of face she _never_ suspected were werewolves) and she felt the odds were in their favor. So why did Chandler see her death? And most important.

Could she stop the inevitable?

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**Review! The Final Chapter is on the Horizon!**


	30. Chapter 30: Strategy

Disclaimer: I do not own Twilight.

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Having gotten used to sleeping, restlessly, alone Bella lightly jumped when she felt a warm hand touch her cheek. Jacob smiled at her from his position of crouching by the side of the bed.

"Charlies gone." He told her. "And Sam's out of commission."

Bella knew Charlie was leaving for a three day hunting trip with Billy, proposed by Billy of course, to get him out of the area when Daxton and his minions attacked. The news about Sam was new to her though.

"Why? Is he okay?" She asked sitting up, Jacob placed a steaming mug of coffee on her nightstand.

"He's more than okay actually." He answered with a smile. "Emily's pregnant."

Bella froze. "Like...having a baby kind of pregnant?"

Jacob chuckled. "Yes moonbeam, pregnant with a baby, first kid that's been born to an active pack in decades."

The pride and happiness on Jacob's made her smile back at him with her own happiness for her friend. With the thought of Emily expecting and Sam more than likely not leaving her side for a second, Bella went a little pale as yet another innocent life was in jeopardy.

"Hey," Jacob said noticing her fallen face. "You okay?"

"Yea," Bella said, recovering a little too late for him not to notice. "I'm gonna make some coffee."

Pulling back the covers Bella stood up from the bed and was about to exit the room when she heard Jacob rise from the bed and felt him grabbed her wrist to turn her around.

"What's up?" He asked, concern evident in his voice and eyes.

Bella sighed. "I just-" Her words were cut off by a loud pounding on her front door. Jacob tensed a bit but Bella's hand to his warm chest seem to relax him. Bella slipped on her hoodie before motioning him to stay in her room and walking down the stairs. The knocking seemed frantic but from the peep hole, Bella could only see a head of blonde hair.

Opening the door, Bella ducked getting hit by another knocking fist before she looked closely at the girl.

"Rosalie?" Bella breathed out in disbelief.

Gone was the cold looking, smooth gorgeous vampire and in her place was an equally beautiful, frantic looking _human_ female. The golden in her eyes were replaced by a color that looked close to violet and her skin actually had a slight hue to it.

"Son of a bitch." Came Jacob's voice from behind her as he descended the stairs.

Rosalie shivered, obviously not used to the cold...or at least _feeling_ the cold.

"Can I come in?" She asked in an anxious voice.

Twenty minutes later, Rosalie was sitting at the Swan's small kitchen table with an empty plate of food in front of her and a full cup of coffee in her hand. So far her story had been basic. Carlisle had locked her in a room that was impossible to get out of and handed her the bags of blood he collected from Bella. At first she thought nothing would happen, then pain, pure, white-hold pain that was nothing compared to her transition to vampire. A second after the pain stopped and for the first time in a long time, Rosalie Hale slept. When she awoke everything was muted, the heightened senses given to her by Carlisle were gone. Emmett was happy for her while the rest of the Cullens were too damned shocked to even speak in complete sentences.

"Then I went out for a drive and ended here." Rosalie completed. "And I was so hungry."

"A almost a century of not eating will do that." Jacob commented, still a bit tense in the presence of a 'former' vamp.

"Does anyone know you're here?" Bella asked, Rosalie shrugged.

"Edward may have read my mind." She answered. "But I honestly didn't know where I was headed until I was almost out of gas."

"You at least have to call Emmett he's probably worried sick." Bella told her sternly.

"I didn't think vampires could get worried or sick." Jacob muttered, Bella glared at him.

"He was excited for me, happy, but he would barely touch me." The anguish in her voice tore at Bella's insides.

"He's afraid of hurting you." She offered, Jacob scoffed which earned him another 'shut up' glare from Bella.

Rosalie yawned. "I'm tired again, why am I so tired?" She asked.

"Because you're human now and have a lot of sleep to catch up on, if you want to sleep at night like normal you have to stay awake." Bella told her as she topped off Rosalie's cup of coffee.

"What should I do?" Rosalie asked, Bella shrugged.

"Can't stay here." Jacob deadpanned, Bella's head snapped towards him.

"Jake!" She snapped, Jacob sighed.

"We have a battle coming up, the last thing we need is a scrambling former vampire to look after." He explained, while Rosalie glared at Jacob Bella knew he was right.

"I'll head up to Seattle I guess for a while." Rosalie offered.

Bella shook her head. "Go south, get completely out of Washington until this is over." She advised, Rosalie nodded.

As Bella let Rosalie take a quick shower and nap, her head was still reeling over the fact Rosalie was human. The myth about her blood was true. Draining the life blood from a _Tylwyth Teg _could turn a vampire human again. It made sense she supposed, the _Tylwyth Teg _were healers and if anything the curse of vampire was an ailment. In a delusion of grandeur, Bella wondered if she would raise the actual dead. Death and aging were ailments so shouldn't she be able to do it? The Tuatha Dé Danann text was a bit hazy regarding death magick. Bella fixed a cup of tea for herself while Jacob kept a dissecting eye on the slumbering Rosalie. She had no doubt the pack knew about her friend...well...friendly acquaintances new form. Before Rosalie woke, Bella got a call from Rosalie's much worried husband. After assuring the man that Rosalie was alright. Bella asked him if he was happy or angry about Rosalie being human.

"Of course I'm happy," He told her in a gleeful voice. "All she ever wanted was to be a mother and now she had the chance to."

Bella heard clenched at the love in Emmett's voice. There was no anger and frustration there, just pure happiness for the woman he loved. She looked to Jacob, who's heightened sense of hearing picked up the statement, and wondered if he would ever be like that. He said he loved her and Bella believed him but did he love her enough to want her happy or did he only want her happy with him? If her being happy meant him leaving the pack or her leaving him..which would he chose? Jacob saw the forlorn look on Bella's face but didn't automatically ask her about it. Rosalie left an hour after she woke up, Bella gave her another necklace filled with Belladonna in case she didn't get out of the state in time. Currently, Bella stood in the kitchen putting away the dishes when she felt Jacob enter the room.

"Want to tell me whats wrong?" He asked with his arms crossed across his muscled chest.

"Not really." She admitted honestly, telling him wouldn't do any good at this moment or any moment in the near future.

"You staying at my house tonight?" He asked her with a suggestive grin obviously letting her 'not really' comment slide.

"You gonna make it worth my while?" She asked returning the grin. Without warning Jacob grasped her hips and spun her around before he easily lifted her up and sat her on the counter beside the sink. Looking into her eyes he stepped in between her legs and cupped her face. Bella ducked his kiss playfully, dogding his soft lips before he finally managed to capture her lips. Bella let her hands trail down his chest then laced them around his neck, feeling the silky smooth strands with her fingers. She leaned back and let him unzip her hoodie and push it off her shoulders. While he took her lips again, Jacob's finger traced up her thigh and to the rim of her panties under her shorts.

"We can't do this here." She groaned out.

"You're right," He agreed gruffly before he grabbed her rear and lifted her off the counter. Bella wrapped her legs around his lean waist as he walked them up the stairs. Jacob all but tossed her onto her bed a second before his body covered hers. His tongue plunged into her mouth as he dragged her into himself. A hoarse moan ripped from her throat at the pleasure exploding through her. Her hands flew to his shoulders, nails biting deep as his hunger, his lust, began to fuel hers. Jacob removed her sleep shorts and panties before he shucked himself out of his own pants and briefs. Bella moaned again as he inserted two fingers inside her. His thumb fingered her clit and right before Bella felt like she was about to come, Jacob withdrew his fingers and filled her completely with his shaft. Bella arched her back as he thrusted into her, the headboard of her bed made a sensual rhythm as it repeatedly hit her wall.

"That was...different." Bella said afterwards as Jacob rested his head on her breasts.

"Yea, sorry if it was a bit rushed." He apologized with a light chuckle. "It was too long since we first did it that I wasn't thinking about savoring."

"I'm not complaining." She asserted. "I still have to take a shower and get to work."

"You're going to work today?" Jacob asked with with a slight frown, Bella nodded.

"Yes," She told him. "I figured I'd give myself something to do today."

"Why can't you-"

"None of that 'hide away and wait for me to come get you' crap Jacob Black." She ordered sternly, Jacob sighed and propped himself as she rose from the bed with the sheet covering her form. Keeping the sheet tight around her, Bella retrieved another pair of panties and a bra from her dresser before she turned back to sit next his his laying form on the bed.

"I know you're worried," She stated. "But with your pack and Rory's pack traipsing about what could really happen to me between now and four?"

"A lot." He answered matter-of-factly.

Bella kissed him lightly. "Don't worry."

"I wouldn't if you stayed in bed for me." He proclaimed, Bella thought for a moment.

"How about you just hop into the shower with me and we'll call it even for now?" A look of hunger flashed across Jacob face a second before he launched himself out of the bed and chased her fleeing body to the bathroom.

* * *

><p>"You're really hitting the tea hard nowadays." Tammy noticed as the kids as they sat eating lunch with the kids. Bella put down her teacup and smiled at her co-worker.<p>

"It's packed with antioxidants." She told her in a simple explanation and looked out on the dimly lit forest. Another day of no sun in Forks which actually suited her mood today. She could feel how heavy the air was around them all. The crowd around her was blissfully ignorant of the danger set to come. Jason was sitting across from Lily and glaring daggers at Kyle Newton, Mike Newton's younger brother, who had taken the seat right next to Lily. She could see the eyes of werewolves through the coverage of the forest and knew the camp was surrounded with protection.

"I don't think it's working, you have bags under your eyes." Tammy continued. "All the tea in the world can't compare to a good nights sleep."

A 'good' nights sleep was hard to come by so Bella was relying on medicine induce naps when her normal sleep aid, Jacob, wasn't there. She threw Tammy an appreciative smile before Bella directed her attention to the kids before her. She sort of remembered her childhood, brief memories and stories told by other people. It wasn't full of danger and fear, even if it had been she didn't know and was as naive as any child. Right after lunch Bella got a call from her dad and told him she would be spending the night at Angela's. A fair, if not a little dated, lie. After work and after seeing Jason home Bella made a quick stop at Newtons Olympic Outfitters and bought new shoes, pants, and a shirt. She sealed them tightly in Ziploc bags before she went home to get her bag together for a night at Jacob's and the battle with Daxton. She made sure to pack her new, sealed clothes and tea and her necklace filled with belladonna. As she parked her truck in front of Jacob's house, Bella pulled up short when she saw Samantha Stone walked away from Jacob who stood on his front porch. Bella raised a brow when the younger girl walked up to her.

"Does your daddy know you're here?" Samantha asked with a tight smile.

"Does your babysitter know you snuck out without permission?" Bella countered, the smile vanished from Samantha's over-glossed lips.

"Look," A cold voice came from her angelic face. "Jacob might be dipping into the local till now but eventually he'll realize where his loyalty lies."

"And where might that be?" Bella inquired.

That sickening smile returned. "With his culture. His heritage. Me."

"Really?" Bella questioned. "And just when do you think he'll be sick of the local cuisine?"

"Seeing how accident prone you are, I'd say soon."

The smile unnerved Bella almost as much as her words. What the hell did that mean? Out of the corner of her eyes Bella saw Jacob shift and tense and knew he heard the threatening undertone of Samantha's voice. Bella narrowed her eyes and took a step closer to Samantha.

"I'm not going to tell you to stay away from Jacob, mostly because I don't think you are that much of a threat and because even if he does leave me I'll sleep better knowing he will never be with you, however." Bella leaned in close to Samantha's ear. "If I know or even suspect that you're trying to hurt me or the people around me, I will smash your pretty little face on the pavement and paint the street with your blood."

Samantha had the common courtesy to look spooked as Bella walked around her and up to Jacob.

"What?" She asked, knowing he heard her and Samantha's conversation.

"That was...so sexy." He breathed as he walked her into the small house. Dropping her bag on the floor near the couch, Bella took in his 'stiff' appearance.

"Seriously?" She asked gesturing to the bulge in his jeans. "You are nothing but a caveman."

"Haven't you ever watched old westerns? Indians are savages." He said.

" Plus," He continued. "It's nothing but natural selection, baby. The strongest male would naturally want the strongest female."

"Leah?" She joked as he placed kisses down her throat. She gasped as he nipped at the unscarred side of her neck.

"Well," Bella groaned out. "We have a good hour before we have to get to Emily's so we might as well not let this go to waste." She cupped his rock hard bulge through his jeans and worked at his zipper. Jacob kissed her breathless, robbing her of rational thought.

Jacob back her onto the couch before went for her jeans. He wasted no time unfastening and unzipping them, sliding them off her hips along with her panties, but neither did he rush. After their morning rendezvous on her bed and shower, Bella was happy she remember to shave her legs again after he had left. Silly, but the notion fled as he spread her thighs, hooked his arms under her knees, and urged her forward. Leaning over her, he kissed her tummy gently, almost lovingly. His fingers trailed over her dark curls, then dipped low to stroke her slit. His touch ignited a flame that coursed though her sex, her belly, to every limb. Bella moaned and her knees fell open wider, inviting him to take what he wanted.

"So beautiful, my _kwopatit_."

His tongue replaced his fingers, licking at the tender folds. So hot, wet, and wicked. He stroked and teased her needy flesh, toyed with her throbbing clit, swirling the bud until she thought she might loose what little control she had. As though sensing she was close, Jacob changed tactics and cupped his hands under her bottom, lifting her off the cushions to his mouth. A feast, his for sampling. His tongue stabbed into her like a cock, sliding deep, stroking and lapping. In and out, tongue-fucking her with single-minded determination. At last she unraveled, shattered, hips bucking, shouting, heedless of the neighbors who might hear. On and on until the last of the orgasm subsided, leaving her lying there like a limp noodle. Completely sated.

Just when she thought she would pass out from exhaustion, Jacob kissed her. The taste of her on his tongue sent another lust-filled surge straight to her womb. Without releasing her lips, Jacob stripped off his shorts and briefs. He only pulled back to rid himself of his white tee-shirt and to pull off her camp shirt and bra. Bella nearly howled when he surged inside of her. His thrusts were building a fire deep inside her before he spun them around so that Bella straddled his lean, muscled hips. Anchoring her hands on his shoulders, Bella threw her head back as she rolled her hips and rode him. Used his body how she wanted. Jacob kept one hand cupping her breast as he let her take him. Leaning forward he took her nipple into his mouth and sucked. The action pushed Bella over the edge. Her body tensed and convulsed at another orgasm tore through her. Her release triggered his and Jacob buried his face in her neck as he came. Fully sated, Jacob pulled back and supped her face in one hand. He kissed her tenderly.

"_kwopat li_." He said. Bella didn't need her language skills to know what he meant. The way he said the words made them universal.

_I love you_

* * *

><p>Dinner at Emily's had been an organized mess. Both Jacob's and Rory's pack was there and Bella had a fun time watching Sam try to keep Emily within arms reach. Emily had a glow about her, Bella assumed it was the notorious glow that came with pregnancy. More than once Jacob nearly had to fight someone when they tried to take off of his or Bella's plate. After the food was gone, the wolves went to discuss battle strategies and Bella help Emily with the trash with help from Angela and Rachel. Bella ease-dropped enough to know the plan was to head out and ready at dawn. After everything was cleared away, Jacob drove Bella back to his place.<p>

"Why don't you head back to bed and I'll make us some hot chocolate?" Bella suggested when they entered the home again.

"Alright but-" He kissed her soundly. "-don't keep me waiting long."

With a heavy heart Bella watched Jacob walk back to his bedroom and went to fix the beverages. As the milk heated on the stove, she silently withdrew the folded packet of white powder from her bag. When she mixed together the cocoa, sugar, and milk, Bella began heated water for a cup of tea. Looking at the packet in her hand, Bella contemplated her plan once more. Her decision led her to dump the contents into one of the mugs and taste test it. It tasted a bit metallic so she added more sugar to it before topping it off with whipped cream. After turning off the water and seeping a bag of tea, Bella walked the two mugs back to Jacob's bedroom where he lay on the bed in a pair of basketball shorts. His smile made her wince as she handed him his mug.

"Whoa." He said after taking a sip. "It's sweet."

"French version, everything's sweeter in France." She told him and meekly sipped at her mug, Jacob laughed and licked the whipped cream from her nose before she registered it was there. Bella sat down her half empty mug and stripped out of her jeans and shirt before she threw on her pajama shirt.

"Get in here." He ordered and lifted up the blanket in the bed. Bella climbed in as she watched Jacob finish the hot chocolate and began looking at the clock.

"I love you, you know that right?" Bella asked as Jacob wrapped his arms around her and pulled her to his warmth.

"I know," He answered and placed a kiss on her forehead. "I love you too."

Jacob yawned and was silent a few moments after. Minutes went by until Bella felt Jacob go completely lax and pulled back to look at him. After successfully making sure he was out for the count, Bella stood up from the bed and went to the living room to get the Ziploc'ed clothes. She showered in close to boiling water, not using soap or deodorant. She stayed in her towel until she was finished with her tea and slipped into the new clothes. Giving into temptation, Bella walked back into Jacobs room and looked at his unconscious form.

"I'm sorry." She said and kissed his temple before she left her bracelet on the kitchen table.

Walking into the woods was scary normally, but knowing your psycho ex-boyfriend was out for blood didn't help the fear. After twenty minutes, Bella came to a clearing close to the mountain edge. Without a second thought she ripped the belladonna necklace from her throat and tossed it away.

"Well, well, well." Bella tensed moments later when the cold, familiar voice punctuated her ears. "This makes it much easier for me."

A simple pain in the back of her head and Bella saw darkness.

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**Review, Review, Review!**


	31. Chapter 31: A Brilliant Plan

Disclaimer: I do not own Twilight.

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_"Okay," _Bella thought to her self as she lay in the large bed tied by her wrist to the headboard. _ "Not my most brilliant plan."_

"Are you quite comfortable, my love?" Daxton said as he entered the room again wearing an expensive suit he no doubt stole. Bella herself had woken up in a long white wedding dress and platinum and diamond jewelry. By the looks outside of the window Bella realized she was still in Washington, most likely only a few miles out of Forks. The building they were in looked to her like an abandoned truck docking warehouse. She and Daxton must have been in one of the offices because the large window gave him a clear look at his little minions. Bella could estimate from voices that they're were about twenty or so.

"Not really." Bella answered. "But I might be if you untie me."

"No, no, no because you will run from me." He countered with a sickening smile. "Plus I need you here to draw out that disgusting mongrel."

Bella's breath hitched. She was hoping that she would handle Daxton alone and not involve the pack in anyway. In fact, she had thought that she would be able to draw him completely away from Forks but apparently he was, for lack of a better term, out for blood.

"How do I look?" Daxton asked.

"Psychotic." The second the word left her mouth, Daxton had his hand around her throat.

"Please play nice Isabella," He actually pleaded. "You have been so good, don't make me hurt you."

What the hell was she gonna do? Jacob wouldn't be able to sense her, no matter how scared she was and she made sure of that and if Jacob couldn't sense her, none of the pack would either. She deliberately told the Cullens not to get involved and even if they were they wouldn't be able to find her. She had no idea how to get a message to her grandmother, and Lydia was dead. She didn't think this plan all the way through, she never thought Daxton's blood lust would override his obsession with her. With another sickening smile, Daxton's hand moved from her throat to her cheek and he lovingly stroked it. Bella shivered at the coldness of his fingers but was smart enough not to jerk away as she normally would have and she kept eye contact with him.

"I am sorry about your friend, what was her name? Angela." He remembered proudly and Bella forced herself not to spit in his face and laugh. She was right about that fact, Daxton had no idea Angela was alive.

"Then why did you kill her?" She asked, Daxton had the audacity to shrug.

"Because you were too close to her and you need to learn that humans are...expendable and fleeting creatures." He explained.

"What about werewolves?" She asked, Daxton's eyes snapped to hers with fury.

"They are not only expendable but are nuisances," He growled. "I'll have much fun tearing that abomination to shreds."

That abomination was no doubt Jacob and Bella internally sneered. With a small kiss to her cheek, Daxton walked out of and locked the room. Bella tried to summon her powers to deal with the ropes but she was too weak, she had honestly thought she would have more time.

Closing her eyes, Bella reached out. _"Chandler"_

* * *

><p>Chandler looked up from his breakfast when he heard Bella's voice whisper in his head. Excusing himself from his sisters company at the posh table, he made his way to the country clubs restroom.<p>

_"Bella?"_ This was the first time _ever_ she reached out to him.

_"I'm in trouble."_ Her voice, even mentally connected to him, was weak.

_"Where are you?"_ He demanded.

_"I honestly don't know,"_ She told him. _"Somewhere in Washington, I need you to get Jacob."_

_"Jacob?"_ He questioned, then sneered. _"You're little wolf boyfriend?"_

_"Can you find me?"_ She asked, ignoring his previous comment.

_"Yes,"_ He answered. _"Stay connected to me."_

Chandler walked into a private bathroom stall and locked it before he sat down and leaned against the stall side. He closed his eyes, keeping the connection tight with Bella, and pictured his home. When he opened his eyes, he was in his living room and moved quickly. He found a map of California, Washington, and Oregon then collected the Irish soil and hair he took from Bella's hairbrush when they were both in Florida. He never planned on using it to find her, more partial to her letting him find her but now it was an emergency.

"Show me." He ordered and dropped the dirt and hair on the map. The contents swirled together, rising and falling before it traced a circle around a location. Chandler jumped back as the dirt and hair shot from the map and splattered across one of the many mirrors in his apartment. Chandler watched as the images flickered across the mirror like a television. It was an old building, a trucking dock and luckily their was a sign posted on front.

_"I know where you are."_ He told her. _"I'll come for you."_

_"There's no time, call Jacob and tell him."_ She countered.

_"No, I can-"_

_"I'm going to die, like you saw, if Jacob doesn't come."_ She cut him off but Chandler knew there was something else.

_"What have you got planned?"_ He asked.

_"Just call Jacob." _Bella rattled off the number and Chandler closed his eyes again. He came to in the bathroom stall and pulled his cell phone from his pocket.

He _really_ hated werewolves.

* * *

><p>"Hey." A cold finger poked Bella out of her connection to Chandler, who was literally the last person she thought she would have had to turn to.<p>

It was a little girl, well about twelve by the looks of her and a vampire. Bella's heart reached out to her, she had long straight black hair and looked as skittish as a new born colt. She looked scared, and so lonely it made Bella want to hold her.

"I'm supposed to feed you." She stammered out and held up the tray of a bagel and glass of orange juice.

"Not hungry." Eating right now might dilute her system and Bella didn't trust any food Daxton would give her.

"I'm supposed to make sure you eat." The girl insisted with a fearful look on her face.

Bella breathed in. "What's your name?"

"Bree." The girl answered hesitantly.

"Bree, what if I told you you could go home again?" Bella watched as a look of surprise and disbelief flashed across the girls face.

"How?" She asked eagerly.

"I can make you human again." Bella told her gently. "But you need to untie me first."

Bree was just about to attack the rope when they both heard Daxton make his way back up the stairs. Bella turned to Bree.

"When trouble starts, I want you to stay out of it, hide and if any wolves corner you I want you to tell them 'fairy princess said you were not to be harmed'." Bree nodded just as Daxton walked into the room.

"Out!" He ordered and Bree practically ran from the room. Without another word Daxton untied her wrist and yanked Bella from the bed. She struggled to walk in the heels as he dragged her along and and down the stairs to stand in front of the audience of new born vampires he created.

"This!" He held up Bella's hand like a trophy. "Is my wife and your new mother!"

The audience cheered, their red eyes gleaming with sick excitement.

"But there is an obstacle that stands in the way of her joining us!" An instant hush filled the space. "We will take out that obstacle toni-"

Daxton stopped in the middle of his speech at the same time Bella felt the familiar tingle which meant only one thing. Bella saw Bree retreat to the office a millisecond before the first wolf smashed through one of the boarded up docks. Daxton snarled like an animal before he wrapped his arms around Bella and took a leap out of an upper story window just as the packs, Jacob's and Rory's, bust into the warehouse and begun to tear through the newborns. Daxton and Bella landed outside...and directly in front of Jacob in wolf form. He growled warningly and Daxton moved behind Bella and kept his lips close to her neck.

"One move and I bite her, have her turn right in front of you." He threatened, then smiled evilly. "Actually I can think of no more beautiful act."

Jacob lunged at the same moment Daxton bit into Bella's neck. Daxton dodged him and took a hungry gulp of Bella's blood - then stopped cold. He threw Bella away from him and dodged Jacob's second lung, sputtering and coughing as he grew even more pale if possible.

"W-what did you d-do?" He chocked out, Bella held her hand over her neck as Jacob moved to stand in front of her protectively.

"Belladonna tea, three times a day." She breathed, rage flew into Daxton's eyes.

"You stupid bitch, you poisoned yourself!" He roared.

"It was worth it." She breathed weakly. Daxton made a move to lunge at her when a gun shot rang out and Daxton clutched his bloody, mangled head in pain. Bella turned to see who shot it when the loss of blood finally over powered her and she met the darkness.

Jacob took great pleasure in ripping Daxton's head off his shoulders before his pack took over. He didn't know where shot came from and honestly didn't care about anything but Bella. His heart nearly stopped beating when he saw her motionless body on the ground, her blood dyeing the wedding dress she was wearing a horrid red. He shifted back to human form and rushed to her. When Jacob picked her up she was limp and her pulse was almost nonexistent. He was helpless, he held her in his arms as the idea of her dying terrified him to no end. No more hearing her laugh. No more seeing her smile. No more holding her as she slept. No more making love to her and hearing her moan into his ear.

No more Bella.

"No, no, no come on _kwopatit_ don't do this." Actual tears came from his eyes.

"What's happened?" Jarred, also in human form, asked. "Why isn't she healing herself?"

"She's too weak." The belladonna was lethal to vampires but very poisonous to humans, the herb itself wasn't killing her but the blood loss was.

"There has to be something you can do!" Rory, in human form, insisted angrily.

Just when Jacob was honestly about to tear Rory's heart out, he heard a whisper in the wind. Without another word to his pack mates he scooped Bella's' limp body in his arms and took off to the mountains. His were speed got him where he wanted to be quickly and Jacob look at the scene before him. Hot springs were common in the mountains of Washington and Oregon but these springs were different. His tribe praised them for their healing powers and local geologist took numerous samples to find out what made it so different. Jacob lowered both him and Bella into the water. When nothing happened he almost cried when the wind whispered something else in his ear.

_Let her go..._

As he prayed to any higher power he could think of, Jacob lowered Bella into the water and let her dropped below the surface. Seconds passed and Jacob had to stop himself from yanking her back to him. After the longest minute of his life, Bella was pushed back to the surface. Instantly, he pulled her to the ground next to the streaming spring. The gushing neck wound was replaced with new, raw skin but she wasn't breathing. He opened her warm mouth and applied CPR, in seconds Bella was coughing taking heavy breaths. She opened her big brown eyes and Jacob let out a breath he hadn't known he was holding in.

"Is he dead?" She managed out between grasps for air, Jacob cradled her wet head against his chest.

Jacob nodded. "Yea baby, he's dead." Then held tight as she yet again lost consciousness.

* * *

><p>Bella woke up when she felt an itchy feeling on her arm. When she opened her eyes she found herself dry, in bed, and un wounded in a room that wasn't familiar to her. It was indeed Carlisle who was removing an IV from her arm that was attached to an empty bag of blood.<p>

"Good morning Bella." He greeted kindly, Bella cleared her dry throat.

"It's morning?" She asked, Carlisle handed her a glass of water.

"Yes," He answered. "And you'll be happy to know none of the pack members were injured, neither was your little friend Bree."

"Where is she?" Bella asked.

"With Esme, I guess you'll want to turn her back to human?" He asked, Bella nodded. "You'll have to wait until the poison leaves your system entirely."

"I know." The words left her mouth a second before the bedroom door opened the the pack filed in one by one, not Rory's so Bella made a mental note to check where he went off to. Carlisle eased himself out of the room to give the pack and Bella privacy.

"Where am I?" Bella asked as she struggled to sit up, Emily was by her side instantly helping her.

"Leah's." She answered, Bella now understood why the place seemed so familiar. Bella turned to Emily and was instantly taken aback by the light surrounding her like an aura. It was the quintessential glow of a pregnant woman times ten. It was a boy. The baby Emily held in her womb was a boy. Bella wasn't sure how she knew but she did. One by one, the pack voiced their somewhat identical reactions/opinions about her brilliant plan. Though they were all pissed they were all equally impressed. What surprised her was the face Paul was the one who willingly donated his blood for Bella. Sure it made sense, he was type O but of all the pack it was Paul who showed her the most animosity. Bella announced she wanted to take a shower and Emily shuffled the pack out of the room until only she and Bella were the only ones in the room.

"Emily, where's Jacob?" Bella finally worked up the courage to ask, Emily sighed.

"He told the pack he would be gone a while and not to look for him." She answered, Bella raised her brow.

"And Sam let him? After the fight?" She questioned.

"Sam couldn't do anything about it," Emily answered. "After he found out you were gone, Jacob pulled blood rank and became alpha."

Bella winced. "Emily, I'm so sor-"

"Don't be." Emily told her with an honest smile. "Sam was relieved actually."

Bella let Emily help her into the bathroom then took a long awaited shower happily. Wondering where her mate was.

The following day, Bella drove her truck to her house and saw her dad was home. When she entered the house she found him in the kitchen cleaning his shotgun.

"Hey dad." She greeted, Charlie smiled.

"Hey Bells, where you been?" He asked.

"Leah's," The truth. "How was hunting?" She asked.

"Same same, didn't get anything big." He responded, Bella nodded before noticing a certain smell coming from her dad's gun. Like burnt herbs. Then Bella remembered he had taken his rifle to go hunting...not his shot gun.

"I thought you took your rifle, not your shot gun." She questioned, Charlie's dark eyes met hers for a second.

"Took both, shot guns are best for scaring off bears." He explained. Bella nodded, a very Charlie-like explanation but she new the smell that tickled her nose. Belladonna.

"You wanna head to the diner for dinner?" Charlie asked as he resembled his gun, Bella threw a very dissecting look.

"Sure."

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**(Authors Note: Next Chapter is the final chapter, however I am contemplating a sequel. Review, Review, Review!)**


	32. Chapter 32: Final Chapter

Disclaimer: I do not own Twilight

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Bella woke with a start, the book she had been reading falling to the floor beside the couch. Jacob was back, after the longest week in her young life, he was back in Forks. She could sense him. Could feel the warmth spreading through her body as an identifier of his closeness. She stood up a second before her phone signaled a text.

**Jake's back. Wants to talk at his place.**

**From: Jared**

Bella scoffed. She didn't give a damn whether he wanted to see her or not, he was _going_ to see her. After a brief 'I'll be home for dinner' to Charlie, Bella all but ran from the house. The drive (despite her slight speeding) to the reservation was ridiculously long. She pulled in front of Jacob's house just as Billy pulled out, and gave her a 'good luck' look. He wasn't in the house, she didn't even have to knock to know that so she walked around to the garage. Yep, he had his back turned to her as he fiddled with his various tools.

"Jac-"

"What the hell did you put in that drink?" He demanded in a voice that Bella didn't recognize or like.

"Ketamine." She answered truthfully.

"A goddamn animal tranquilizer!" He snapped and finally turned to her. He looked pissed but also something else. There was something in his eyes that depicted his alpha status, not a look but an undertone that made her squirm. He stormed up to her and against all her better judgment, she visibly backed away from him...and he noticed.

"I would never hurt you, don't ever back away from me like that again." He ordered, Bella inhaled.

"You are pretty pissed, you told me what happened to Emily." She reminded him, more anger leaped into his dark eyes.

"I'm pissed because you almost died!" He roared. "In my arms! I was helpless to do anything and was hearing your pulse slow down more and more! I have the right to be pissed!"

"You do." She quietly agreed.

"Are you even sorry for doing that?" He demanded, Bella shook her head.

"No, it worked." _That_ didn't help his temper at all but she continued anyway. "It worked, I'm alive and so is the pack."

"But it could have been different!" He snapped. "You contacted that bastard Chandler instead of me-"

"I couldn't get to you!" She insisted but Jacob continued as if she hadn't had spoken.

"And now you're not even apologizing for putting me through hell!" Bella sighed and Jacob turned away from her. She walked over to him and wrapped her arms around his waist, relishing in the smell and feel of him. Jacob still was silent but he lighting gripped her hands in one of his.

"I am sorry that I made you worry so much but I'm not sorry I took a risk that saved everyone." She told him in a pleading voice, Jacob finally turned to her.

"What if you had died Bella?" The look of raw pain in his eyes cut at her heart. "Did you even think of that."

"No, but mostly I was trying not to think about what would happen if i survived." She admitted.

Confusion marred Jacob's face. "What do you mean?"

With a guilty look on her face Bella moved away from him to sit on a nearby chair. "That wasn't the first time me and Chandler...communicated."

"And?" Jacob all but growled.

"Originally I was going to tell you what I planned, tell the whole pack but when I spoke to Chandler he pointed out some things that got under my skin so I decided to put all the risk on myself and not think about a future." She explained, if anything Jacob's expression got even harder.

"_What_ could that nitwit possibly say to make you want to 'not think about a future?" He demanded.

"He said that he could give me anything I wanted and that no matter what you would be tied to your pack, to Forks." She continued.

"Still not quite understanding you." He stated in an even voice.

"What about what I wanted to do?" She finally snapped. "Go to college out of state, study abroad, live somewhere else, vacation all over? It was relieving to think I wouldn't have to make the choice of being with you and following my dreams."

Realization dawned on Jacob's face and his expression softened dramatically. He sighed in defeat and understanding and pulled her from the chair. Bella let him pick her up and sit her on his tool bench, making her eye to eye with him. His hand touched her cheek lovingly and Bella savored the feel of his skin on hers.

"You think by being with me you have to give up what you want?" He asked softly, she nodded. "And instead of confronting me with this you let yourself get kidnapped?" The anger was back in his eyes.

"What would you say?" She demanded. "Would you be okay with me leaving for school? Would you be fine with me studying abroad for a month or two? Would you go with me or wait for me?"

"Yes!" He exclaimed. "If you wanted to go to the edge of the universe you can be damn sure I would be with you and if I couldn't be with you I would be here waiting. Anything you want! Anything you need! I would break every bone in my body if it would spare you the pain of goddamn paper cut. I love you and I'm getting damn tired of reminding you of that!"

"I love you and I'm so-" Jacob pressed a finger to her lips.

"Stop apologizing," He chastised. "You can't help being who and how you are and I wouldn't want you to change." She smiled.

"But," He continued. "I'm still pretty pissed." Bella got a mischievous gleam in her eyes.

"Well I could help you get rid of some of that aggression." She said and reached for his belt, Jacob gently took her hands.

"We'll get to _that_ later but right now only one thing will make me feel better." Jacob lifted Bella off of the work bench and put her on her feet. She threw him a questioning look which turned into a look of horror as he bended down on one knee and withdrew a small velvet bag from him pocket. Opening the bag he pulled out a diamond ring, it was wrapped in silver and looked a bit antiqued.

"Jacob-"

"Shut up," He ordered lightly. "I know you are against marriage because you're afraid of it not working but I can assure you I will do everything to prove that with me, marriage is forever. I love you so much that you are the first thing I think of when I wake up and the last thing I think of before I sleep, I even see you in my dreams. I've wanted you since I was four and I'll want you when I'm eighty so the only thing I ask is for you to take a risk and make an honest man out of me because even if you say no I'll still be the happiest man alive just because you're in my life. So Isabella Marie Swan, will you marry me?"

Bella had to remind herself to breath. "Under one condition."

"Anything." He insisted with a hopeful look in his eyes, Bella smiled at him.

"That we have a really long engagement."

A wide smile broke on Jacob's face, a smile that reminded her of the old Jacob as he leaped up to kiss her. He was so excited that he dropped the ring and Bella laughed as he scrambled to get it and then shakily put it on her finger. Bella leaned up to kiss him.

Jacob, without a word, scooped Bella up in a bridal style and carried her from the garage and into his house, not caring who saw. He laid her down on his large bed and slowly stripped her of her clothing. He peeled his clothing off the same way before he lowered himself onto her. This time was different then the other times. It was more...something. It was sensual, intimate beyond anything either of them felt before. Jacob loved her with his body, each touch screamed his commitment to her and her alone. Each kiss gave her a vision of their future.

Neither Jacob or Bella thought of foreplay, with one, slow thrust he entered her. Their fingers laced and eyes locked the entire time. His thrust were deliberate, building in her like a pressure cooker waiting to explode. When she came, she didn't scream out in ecstasy as usual. For the first time, Bella shook with raw emotion flooding her body and she cried. She cried out of sheer happiness. To her shock when she felt Jacob bury himself into her a second before he came, there were tears in his eyes and the same look of pure elation on his handsome face. This was a feeling she never felt. This was a feeling she wanted to feel again and again.

This was the feeling of eternal love.

"Charlie is going to freak when he see's the ring." Bella groaned jokingly as she and Jacob pulled in front of her house.

"Well he's currently not here," Jacob noted the lack of police car in the driveway then turned to smile at her. "Why don't we go have engagement sex?"

"We just had engagement sex." She reminded him, Jacob smiled slyly.

"Yea, but not on _your_ bed." He retorted lightly.

Bella smiled teasingly and shot out of the truck to race him up to her bedroom. She was pulled up short when he caught her by the waist and spun her around, laughing. Bella and Jacob both sobered when she inserted her house key into the lock only to find the door open. Jacob instinctively pushed her behind him and opened the door.

"What the hell?" She heard him ask and she pushed by him. Broken glass was everywhere, every picture of Bella smashed on the floor and every mirror shattered. Bella went up to her bedroom to find a scene from a suspense film. Someone had taken a knife to her bed, slashing the comforter, sheets, and mattress to ribbons. They had torn every article of clothing she had and thrown them all over. For one last insulting blow, they smashed her camera. Jacob, who had been checking the house for people and other damage, held her close as tears threatened to fall from her eyes.

"I thought this was over." She whimpered. "Daxton is dead."

"He is dead," He reinforced. "This was a human."

* * *

><p>The sound of high stilettos was a signal that their servant was approaching. The Volturi ancients sat in their usual seats, watching as another of their wayward subjects remains were swept away like the garbage he was. It was one of their human servants. She was useful to keep around, she had an innocent enough face to draw in meals.<p>

"Yes?" Aro asked, the servant handed him a printed out message,

"It has been confirmed, your grace, Rosalie Hale is human again." In the message was an attached photo of the beautiful girl of the Cullen Clan laying on a beach in Miami, Florida.

"A _Tylwyth Teg_ in this century?" Caius asked amazed. "I thought we wiped them out."

"Apparently not," Aro stated. "Do we know who it was?"

"Yes your grace, her name is Isabella Swan." She handed him another picture and document.

"Is?" Aro questioned. "She's not dead?"

"No, your grace."

"Hm, Swans are known for their beauty but lesser for being one of the most aggressive birds in the animal kingdom." Marcus informed them with a sickening smile.

"Should we get rid of her?" Caius recommended.

"Perhaps," Aro replied nonchalantly. "Not now though."

"Why not?" The bloodthirsty Marcus asked in a slightly irritated voice.

"I concur they are a threat to us, even just one," Caius agreed with an inquisitive look on his angelic face. "Why not kill her?"

"Given the fact it should have killed her for the amount of blood taken and also that beautiful little Rosalie most likely knows the little fae which means our beloved Carlisle knows her too, I have a feeling killing her at this time would premature." Aro explained.

"If you say so." Caius commented while Marcus remained silent.

"We should however," Aro continued. "Keep her in our sights." The servant took his orders and departed and Aro held up the picture presented to him of a pale girl with dark brown hair.

"I have a feeling that young girl could bring about something colossal." He commented.

"Or maybe," Caius interrupted. "She already has."

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**Authors Note: Here it is, last chapter! Thank You all for sticking through the short chapters and grammatical errors. **

**Sequel?...Maybe ;-)**


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